The Gauntlet
by mmhope22
Summary: There are heroes and there are villains - and then there's everybody else. Parker Morgan was perfectly content to be just another face in the crowd, but when she finds herself pushed into a world of monsters and magic, she isn't given much of an option. The battle for the Universe is coming. And the enemy already has the upper hand. *RE-PUBLISHED* *Undergoing Mild Revisions*
1. Chapter 1: The Morgans

**Disclaimer: I own only my OC's, roughly everything else in this story belongs to Marvel. **

***This story takes place after Thor: The Dark World and will contain spoilers. **

****Rated M for language, violence, and future explicit content. **

*****A/N: Undergoing Revisions. No changes will be made to the actual story, I am just in the process of finding and correcting errors while converting the story fully to Third Person Perspective. **

* * *

Some of us are born to be heroes; others to be villains, and then there is everybody else. The fortunate majority who are blessed with the ability to merely exist – to float through their lives free from the burden that comes with the power to sway the balance of good and evil. One could easily be made jealous of such simplicity; it is arguably the best gift to have ever been bestowed upon humanity.

"_It_" being, of course, the gift of **choice**. To choose to live a quiet, peace life or to not.

Unfortunately for her, it was not a gift that Parker Morgan was given.

No, she received one of a very different sort, courtesy of her father Brael. In the beginning, the signs of her inheritance were quite subtle – so subtle, in fact, that the girl had hardly taken notice of them at all; loud-mouthed customers that would come through her checkout lane where she worked would frequently find themselves breaking out into coughing fits (and therefore, unable to continue on with their verbal assault on the hotheaded young woman) and random items would occasionally fling off of the shelves of their own accord – but that was nothing to worry about, right? Weird, certainly, but not particularly noteworthy.

As time progressed, however, those strange happenings started to become much more marked and were almost violent in some occurrences; it eventually came to the point where Parker could no longer ignore the correlation between the events and her ill moods. The final nail was put into the proverbial coffin when one night, after an exceedingly frustrating day, the girl inadvertently blew out every single light bulb in her apartment building as she realized she had forgotten to purchase milk on the way home.

Now, Brael Morgan - upon becoming a father - had mastered the art of telling his little girl the most wonderful bedtime stories. He would spin her tales of the far away land of Asgard and the gods and goddesses that lived there, but he would always leave a certain, very important detail out. For all of the years that had passed up until she outgrew the need for fairy-tales, Brael had always deliberately failed to mention that for thousands of years, he lived in Asgard – not only _amongst_ the gods, but as one of them.

Had Parker known that piece of information when she began to put together the idea that perhaps she had developed some kind of superhuman abilities, it would have saved the young woman a great deal of inner turmoil and anxiety (although, to be fair, it was bound to be a difficult and life-altering deal regardless of the cause), but as it happened, she didn't and so her initial assumption was that she was, for lack of a better term, a mutant. She had read about them online and in the paper – hell, she'd even seen a few of them on the news one time – but most importantly, she had read that there was an institute in New York that was rumored to work exclusively with individuals who possessed _special_ talents.

Parker was sold. She quickly decided that she ought to go – that anything that could possibly help her control whatever it was that she had was worth a shot, even if it did mean moving away from her home in Michigan. One evening while having dinner with her parents, she hesitantly brought the subject up, feeling that it was only right that they knew what was happening and why their daughter was going to be leaving the state; it was a difficult topic for Parker to talk about and therefore when her father's reaction to her words turned out to be a hearty chuckle, she wasn't quite sure how to feel (though pissed off did rank pretty high on her list). She was only about two seconds away from losing her temper when her father reached out, placing a large hand over hers as he apologized. He continued on to tell her that he knew what it was that she was experiencing and why – describing to her all of the truths in the stories that he had told her as a child; he explained to the skeptical redhead that Earth was far from the only planet in the Universe with intelligent life and that there were, indeed, other beings out there far stronger, smarter, and faster than _any_ human. There were also individuals with the ability to control and manipulate a force that many referred to simply as "magic", Brael pointed out, though it earned him an incredulous scoff from the girl. To make his point, the older man stood and held out a hand, easily conjuring a small, blue flame to sit neatly in his palm – Parker's wide eyes drank in the spectacle before Brael extinguished it with a mere snap of his fingers.

Things were crazier than she had thought. The petite woman had come to a point where she was ready to accept herself as a mutant – that there was something screwy with her DNA that caused these changes in her, and she supposed that technically, that wasn't too far off from the truth. However, the truth in her situation revealed a much bigger picture than what she was prepared for. Monsters, magic, gods and other worlds, other races – they were real. And she was linked to them in a more profound way than what she could have ever fathomed.

Parker later learned that her father had been of high-rank in the Asgardian community – a trusted Adviser and friend to their King, Odin Allfather, before Brael left on a fateful trip to Earth, one in which he met his future wife. The young Adviser returned to Asgard, hoping to be granted the Allfather's blessing, but to his disappointment the King vehemently condemned the relationship, ordering him to put an end to it at once. When Brael refused, he was striped of his title and banished from Asgard. His banishment did little to dampen his spirits, however, as it simply gave him the freedom to build a life with the woman he loved, which is exactly what he did.

The events in New Mexico did, nevertheless, manage to get a rise out of the usually carefree god. Essentially putting his family on lockdown, Brael was constantly on alert for weeks following the incident. It had been a confusing time for Parker, as she was yet unaware of her parentage, but she figured that if something had her father worried to that extent, that it'd be best to just go along with whatever he said. It happened once more during the invasion of New York, and again Parker simply rolled her eyes and did as she was told. In hindsight, she figured that perhaps she should have noticed that that was a pretty clear sign that there was something bigger going on that she didn't know about. Brael, having been exiled from Asgard as he had, figured that it was likely that the Allfather had painted a rather unfavorable picture of him to his people and therefore, whenever he caught wind of Asgardian involvement taking place on Earth, he thought it best to remove himself and his loved ones from the situation as much as possible in order to elude any potential conflicts that might arise between himself and the sons of Odin, though in spite of his best efforts, he was ultimately unable to isolate his family from the strange events entirely. An organization that called itself "SHIELD" had come sniffing around once or twice, questioning Brael and his family in regards to odd occurrences that had taken place (namely after the Alien Invasion of New York), but all of that aside, they seemed perfectly happy to leave the Morgan's to live their lives in peace.

As ready as Parker had thought that she was to know the answer to why she was different, hearing it had given her no relief. It felt as though_ more_ weight had been added to the supernatural burden that she carried with her rather than lifted and it certainly landed her with many more questions than what her father or she had answers; would she have the longevity of an Asgardian or would she live the short, sweet life of a human? Would her powers continue to grow – more importantly, would she be able to control them? That night, as she tossed and turned in bed, she found her mind flooded with all of the things that she simply did not know. She laid awake trying to process and accept her situation, but it was just too overwhelming. Therefore, Parker came to the conclusion that she would be human, even if she wasn't really. She decided that she was just going to push that part of herself down and pretend that there was nothing unusual about her at all, praying to the powers that be that her abilities would not grow and to grant her the strength to control them. It had taken a long while, but finally everything began to feel _normal_ again. The voice in the back of her head that would remind her of her true self had become much easier to ignore and at long last, she was starting to make friends again – to have an ordinary life.

And that's when _they_ decided to show up.

* * *

"Hey! Just what the hell do you think you're doin'," Parker barked as she struggled to pass through the threshold of her small one bedroom apartment, her thin arms full with overflowing bags of groceries.

She had come home to find her furry, orange feline companion, Darwin, carefully exploring the contents of her kitchen table, as he often liked to do when his human was not there to stop him. The diminutive long-hair wholly ignored Parker's words and continued to lightly sniff around in search of food as the tip of his long, puffy tail twitched gently in the air.

Loudly dropping the heavy plastic sacs to the floor, Parker crossed the room and scooped the cat up to hold him against her chest as she planted a small kiss atop the creatures head.

"_Meow,"_ Darwin chirped in protest.

"Don't you talk back to me, young man. You know better," She mumbled into his downy coat before setting the cat down onto the floor after he began to wriggle in her arms.

The redhead smiled as she watched the ginger feline strut away from her; as much as she liked the _real_ friends that she had finally started to accumulate, she still believed wholeheartedly that Darwin was the best that she had – and she was perfectly okay with that. She could be who she really was around the tiny feline – hell, if Parker got frustrated and managed to blow up her microwave, Darwin would merely be slightly startled by the noise of it. He would still want to curl up on her lap afterward to take a nap while she watched Television, but humans on the other hands...Parker was fairly certain that they would not be quite as receptive.

Turning back to the task at hand, Parker carefully squatted down and began picking various items out of the grocery bags. No sooner had she set the last can of Green Beans in their appropriate place, there came an alarming, forceful pounding at her front door.

Although Parker was usually quite cautious as to who she invited into her home (and into her life), she opted to **not** take the opportunity to look though the peep-hole that day and instead pulled the heavy, wooden slab open - revealing a tall, thin woman with dark hair and eyes to match standing in the hall in front of her. The mysterious woman had pale skin that stood out against her inky black uniform, her dark hair was neatly pulled back with short bangs swept off to the side, and she wore an intense gaze that was only emphasized by her sharp features. Parker allowed her eyes to roam over the woman as she tried to figure out why she looked so familiar...

"Hi there," The petite woman greeted awkwardly, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Depends," The mysterious figure responded bluntly, "Are you Parker Morgan?"

"I am. Why, is something wrong?"

The dark woman shot a look down the corridor, giving a single nod before turning her gaze back towards Parker.

"I'm going to have to ask that you come with me," She explained, taking a step back as she motioned for the redhead to step out of the apartment.

In that moment, Parker came to the sudden realization that she had _definitely_ dealt with these people before...

"SHIELD?" She inquired, though it was more of a statement than anything.

The woman did not answer her, but then again, she really did not have to.

* * *

Parker found herself sandwiched in between two men in sleek black suits as the female agent drove them to the interrogation site, which took roughly half an hour. Half an hour of an intense, awkward silence. When they arrived, she stepped out into the cool spring air to see a dilapidated building nearly ten feet in front of her – one of the many derelict buildings that besieged the city of Detroit. It had been beautiful once, she was sure of that, yet there it stood, with chunks of wall missing, windows broken out – it had been a very long time since anyone had cared for the place and considering the extensive damage, the fact that it was still standing was fairly remarkable.

She followed the lady inside of the building; the two men, in turn, watchfully trailed behind her. They passed through what Parker imagined was at one time the lobby, taking care to avoid the heaps of debris and shattered glass that had been scattered across the ground until the female agent stopped in front of a badly discolored, wooden staircase. The wood was splintered in places and the musty scent of decay hung thick in the air. She gestured for Parker to go up and despite her better judgment, she obeyed the order.

Parker came to a long, narrow hallway and found that straight ahead of her there sat a quiet room, furnished only with a rectangular, sliver table with two chairs positioned across from one another on either side. One of the seats was already occupied by a bald, dark skinned gentleman who wore a black trench coat with a matching patch over his right eye – the girl quickly recognized him as being Director Fury of SHIELD. She had spoken with him before on a couple of occasions, and while she held a strong dislike for his organization and their intrusive investigations, she felt a little more at ease upon seeing a familiar face. Slowly, she entered into the dimly lit room, coming to a stand near the chair opposite from the Director as his agents funneled in behind her – the two men taking their places in the corners of the room as the woman stepped around the table, handing a manila folder to her boss.

"Parker Morgan, sir," She spoke quietly, nodding towards the young woman as the man began thumbing through the file.

"Thank you, Agent Hill," He acknowledged before turning his eyes up to look upon Parker's face, "We've met before, haven't we, Ms. Morgan?"

The girl nodded lightly, "Yes, Director Fury. A few times."

He chuckled a little, "Usually that's not a good thing. So what was it? We spoke after New York, is that correct?"

"Correct. And after New Mexico."

His eyes narrowed a touch, but not in a hostile manner, rather like he was attempting to recall the memory. After a moment he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes I do believe you're right," He began, "Well, I'm sure that you're probably wondering why I had Agent Hill here bring you here today."

"I could take a guess," Parker remarked. It came out sounding much more ill-mannered than she had intended it to be, but at that point she was rather annoyed. She had played this game with them before – they would drag her out into the middle of nowhere, ask her a bunch of questions that she did not know the answers to, and then she would go home. She could be there now watching _How I Met Your Mother _reruns and hanging out with her cat but instead, there she was, about to play the least interesting game of twenty questions ever.

Again, Fury just chuckled, "I'm sure you could. Now if you would just take a seat, we can get right to it then," He gestured towards the chair in front of her.

Parker plopped down in the seat and waited for the questions to start.

"Ok, so I have here that we have already discussed the event in New Mexico as well as the incident that took place in New York and that you had no information about these events save for what was reported in the media after the fact. Is that correct?" He inquired, shifting his eyes from the file to the woman across from him as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, that is correct." She confirmed.

"Alright, well this past summer we had some things happen over at Greenwich. As you have probably figured, there was some Asgardian involvement and for the sake of keeping the higher ups happy, we need to know if you can give us any insight on that or if you had any prior knowledge about what took place," He explained.

She shook her head, "No, sir. I know about as much as everybody else does. It looked like some kind of alien invasion, kind of like New York, but I do not and did not have any prior knowledge about it."

"As per usual," Fury jibed.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Director. My family and I…we just don't get involved. And we don't want to. We just want to be –" Parker began.

"Left alone. I know, I know. It's just protocol, Ms. Morgan. You understand that."

"If your father is Asgardian, why wouldn't he come to Thor's aid?" Agent Hill piped in.

Parker was startled at first by her abrupt entrance into the conversation, but she took it in stride.

"Well..." She started, "my dad was exiled from Asgard after he told their king he wouldn't stop seeing my mother. It sounded like he was pretty upset about it, so on the off chance that _maybe_ the king has instilled some…_hostility_ in his people towards my father, we decided that it was best to just stay away."

"And there's nothing more to it than that?"

Parker wasn't sure if the woman had _meant_ to insinuate something, but she certainly did not care for her tone.

"No. There isn't," She answered tightly.

"Now, now," Fury intervened. "Agent Hill, Brael Morgan has been on our radar for years and has cooperated with every single investigation that we've asked him to. There is nothing there to suggest any threat."

Agent Hill made a quiet apology and Fury returned his attention to Parker.

"So you know nothing more than usual, correct?" He reiterated.

"Correct."

It fell silent for a moment.

"Is there anything else?" Parker asked.

"Nah, you can go," He sounded unsure, but she took him at his word, anyway.

She had just reached the threshold of the room when she heard him call to her.

"Actually – Wait, Ms. Morgan!"

She turned to face him again, raising her eyebrows quizzically.

"Have you ever heard of something called the 'Infinity Gauntlet'?"

* * *

**A/N: Hello! So I hope that didn't seem to move too fast for you, but I didn't feel it was necessary to waste too much time going into detail over how she struggled with the information that she now has on who she is and her powers, etc, etc – there is still plenty of struggle in Parker's future that I don't feel that it is altogether necessary or even fair to put you through even more of it :p **

**Anyway, I recently went through and condensed with story down significantly – I have a bad tendency sometimes to write short chapters and well, that's not what I want to do anymore, so we've gone from about 38 Chapters to 18. ALSO! This story used to kind flip flop back and forth between first person and third person and I have decided that I want it to have a more uniform kinda feel or whatever, or some consistency I guess – either way I have gone through and edited ALL of the chapters so that they are in THIRD PERSON. So, just a WARNING – you MAY find some issues – you may find typos or extra words or some other junk where it doesn't make sense or belong, but I'm going to be going back through and finding these shortly. I will only be adding these revised chapters one at a time because of this so it shouldn't be too bad. **

**Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I ask that you PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! I strive off of reviews and I am in dire need of some good reviewers so if that's you – feel free to fill that box out below. **

**Til Next Time :)**


	2. Chapter 2: The Eye

As a child, Parker had developed a terribly obnoxious habit that required her to hear a story before she could drift off into sleep; it was like some bizarre offering that her parents had to give to her in exchange for a peaceful night to themselves. Brael – her father – did not seem to be bothered too much by the ritual as he took great pride in the tales that he would spin for his daughter, and to his delight he found that she _loved_ them. He would recite his fables full of magic and adventure to his pint-sized baby girl as her wide eyes watched him from her bed, and though throughout the years many of her father's stories had left Parker's memory, those two words - "Infinity Gauntlet" - brought bits and pieces of them back to the surface.

Begrudgingly, she stepped back into the room as she gently shook her head.

"Sounds familiar. I think my dad might have said something about it once or twice? Why?"

"Can you tell us anything?," Fury inquired, a glimmer of hope evident in his eye.

"Sure," Parker started, clearing her throat loudly, "My father used to tell me stories when I was just a kid and if I remember correctly, the Infinity Gauntlet was some kind of magical weapon or something. It was just a glove with these little divots along the knuckles and stuff where you could put these magical stones."

"Do you remember if your father told you anything about these stones?"

The girl shrugged.

"Yeah. I mean, I don't know for sure but I think there was like six of them, maybe?"

"Six of them?," Fury repeated, clearly requesting clarification.

"Yeah, I think so," Parker answered, surprising herself with how much she could actually remember, "Each of the stones controlled something different; I think one controlled time, another controlled reality, there was one for power, one for souls, one for space, and one for time...but he said that the stones had been separated for a very long time and that no one knew where they were."

A long, tense silence fell between them as Agent Hill diligently jotted something down on a small piece of paper.

"Unless someone _does_ know where they are?," Parker hesitantly suggested after a moment.

"Is there anything else?," The Director asked tersely.

"Not really, except that the Gauntlet is supposed to be one of the Relics of Asgard."

"Asgard?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to be in their King's little Trophy room or something – is that a problem?"

Fury's expression darkened as he let out a sigh.

"It's just that we have had an alarming lack of communication with Asgard since that situation at Greenwich," He confessed.

"I didn't know that SHIELD maintained contact with other worlds?"

"We don't," Fury admitted, "But Thor has been residing here on Earth since the events at Greenwich. He's tried to communicate with his home world and thus far has had no such luck."

Parker felt the color drain from her face at his words, her heart plummeting into her stomach. She realized it was likely senseless to be afraid, that surely a god such as Thor would have bigger fish to fry than her, but even if that man had no ill will towards her and her family, he nevertheless symbolized something that she desperately wanted to distance herself from.

"Thor is a good guy, Parker. You don't need to be afraid of him. Besides, he's halfway across the world in London and has no idea that you and your family even exist. You can rest assured that he's not going to come knocking on your door."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Parker breathed, chuckling slightly.

"Don't mention it," Fury replied with a grin as he tucked the file under his arm, "If there is nothing else, you are free to go."

The crimson haired woman nodded and quickly shook the Director's hand before she was escorted back to the car by Agent Hill and her men.

As if the ride there hadn't taken long enough, the trip back home seemed to drag on and on for the tired girl. Before too long, however, Parker found herself slipping back through the front door of her dark apartment, allowing it to click shut behind her. A lone floor lamp tucked off into the corner of the living room served as the only source of light in the entire place as the sun had long since retired. As badly as she wanted to follow suit, Parker's mind was wide awake.

Slowly, she dragged herself down the shadowy hallway and into the bathroom, shedding the layers of clothing off of her small frame. Turning on the hot water, she stepped into the shower and allowed the warmth to cascade over her weary body. It was comforting. Her eyes drifted close for a mere second and in an instant, her mind was overrun with sporadic images. Brilliant amber eyes gazed back into her own, though she could not make out a face to go with them, she then found herself peering into what appeared to be a prison cell, although it was not typical of what one would expect to see in Earthly facilities. In that cell sat a grubby looking old man who gradually morphed into the form of a solemn older gentleman dressed in fine attire. She observed that over one of his eyes sat a distinctive golden patch. The following image showed a man, who could only be the king, seated on the throne, but something about him was just...off. She didn't know what it was, but she had this overwhelming feeling that there was something in that image that wasn't right, but she just couldn't see _what_. The next image came - it was the Eye of London -it lingered there for a moment before a quick flash displayed another pair of eyes, again there was no discernible face to accompany them, and in place of the amber set were these haunting emerald orbs - with them came an unexplainable feeling of trepidation. And then it was over; her eyes snapped open as she gasped, stumbling backwards until she managed to catch herself, using the wall for support. There was a sharp pain left in her temples and her heart was throbbing inside of her chest.

She was not too proud of what she did next. She hopped out of the shower and called her father. She knew that that didn't _seem _that bad but she was supposed to be an adult. At twenty two years old, she felt kind of silly calling her parents just because she was frightened, which she would readily admit that she was. But those thoughts, those images, they had _not_ come from her own mind. She felt like someone had just hacked her brain and she was utterly unprepared for that nonsense.

Her father answered the phone, as late as it was, and everything came pouring out of her mouth in this unyielding jumble of words. Parker told him about the interrogation and what had happened in the shower, and although she was sure that she sounded like a mad woman, he was able to make sense of what his daughter was saying.

The line fell quiet for a few minutes before her father spoke.

"Parker, sweetheart, I think you ought to get to London."

"You're not serious," She replied flatly.

"I'm afraid I am."

"But why? I mean...Dad, Thor is over there _right now_ and -"

"I know," He cut in, "That's why you have to go."

* * *

Parker had always had this notion that traveling the world and seeing new places would be exhilarating and inspirational, and though she had come to the gorgeous city of London, the wonder of it was lost on her. Instead of sightseeing and marveling at the history surrounding her, she found herself seated at the end of her bed in her hotel room, aimlessly pushing around the contents of her bag as she contemplated what she should say when she met the God of Thunder. Where would she even start?

Sighing, Parker pressed her palms to her eyes.

"_Don't. Don't work yourself up. Just find him and tell him what's going on - the rest is out of your hands. At least you'll have done your part, right?"_

"Hopefully," She muttered in response to herself, removing her hands from her eyes and turning her gaze to the photograph of her parents that sat atop of her belongings. She managed a small smile in spite of the anxiety that she felt; it was hard to believe that it had already been over a week since she'd last seen them.

* * *

"_Parker! Concentrate!" She heard her father bark through the ringing in her ears. _

_Her hand rose, cupping her jaw as she slowly peeled herself off of the coarse cement flooring of her parent's garage, a thin trail of blood dripping from her lips, marking the ground with deep red splotches. Parker's face ached and burned from the blow; her father had teleported behind her, grabbed a hold of her, and bounced her head off of the floor before she could even react._

_Her legs trembling, she stood and wiped at the blood on her face. _

_"Good one," She offered._

_"Parker, be serious," Her father scolded, "You may have abilities, but you lack the physical power that your enemies will possess. Your body is as fragile as a typical human, a vulnerability that your enemies will not share and will take advantage of if you allow them the chance. "_

_Parker nodded, "I know, I know. I'm sorry, I'll try harder. "_

_They went again, this time Parker disappeared into the air, launching herself down and onto her father's back with as much force as she could conjure. She had expected it to take him down completely, but he only fell to his knees before wrenching her off of him and tossing her across the room like a rag doll._

_"Better, but what did I just say?" He asked, a small laugh in his voice. _

_"Ugh..." She rolled her exhausted body to face him. "Feeble human, I think I've got it now."_

_"I certainly hope so."_

_"Just out of curiosity, what is it exactly that you expect me to be up against?" Parker inquired as she pulled herself to her feet again. _

_Her father turned his eyes to the ground, wetting his lips with his tongue as he considered his words, before he returned his gaze to his daughter. _

_"Lord knows, Parker, but I don't. I don't know, and that is frightening to me. I hope that the occasion never arises where you will have to defend yourself, but knowing what is out there - knowing what you _**could **_be up against, you must get a hold on your magic. It will be your only chance for survival. "_

_Parker smiled at her father; it wasn't a joyful smile but more of an acknowledgment. _

_"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I have absolutely _**no**_ intention to pick a fight with _**anyone**_?" She jested. _

_"Maybe not, but what if they come after you? The universe is littered with evil and there are many that cannot be trusted, my dear. "_

* * *

That had been the longest weekend of Parker's life, and even though it left her with a handful of bruises, her father succeeded in teaching her how to better channel her powers, enabling her not only to protect herself, but to attack as well. That's not to say that she had become an expert - that's absurd - but she was certainly much more in control of things.

Zipping her bag shut in one swift motion, Parker tossed it to the floor and kicked off her shoes. It was getting to be late and she had a lot to get done in the next few days. She buried herself under the thick covers and closed her eyes, rapidly drifting to sleep.

Spine-chilling red eyes greeted her, giving way to a scene - it was the old man with the golden patch, he had a newborn baby tucked into his arms. He was speaking with a beautiful woman whom Parker instinctively knew to be his wife, though she could not hear what they were saying. The Queen smiled and gently took the child from the man, the King, holding the baby against her chest lovingly. It should have been a sweet moment, but as Parker looked at that child, she couldn't help but feel this familiar unease creep up on her. It was the same awful feeling that she had experienced the first time, when she had seen those green eyes.

Mercifully, the vision, for lack of a better term, was cut short as Parker woke up in a cold sweat, struggling to catch her breath. Those eyes, those horrible red eyes were seared into her brain. She looked to the alarm clock that sat on the night stand to her right and found 2:47 AM staring back at her.

_"That's okay. I don't need sleep anyway..."_ She thought bitterly as she roughly kicked the covers off of her body.

The small woman popped her shoes back on and pulled a light sweater over herself as she headed out into the city.

In a place like London, Parker doubted that the city ever really went to sleep - but that night, for whatever reason, there didn't seem to be too much going on. There were, of course, chance group of friends out and about but that it – nothing exciting. She wandered for a while before coming upon the brilliant Eye of London. She admired it for a moment, and kind of hoped that it would by some means point her in the right direction.

"_It's a Ferris Wheel, Parker. A giant. Fucking. Ferris Wheel. Not exactly **muse** material... _"

She snorted in frustration at herself, and that is when she heard it.

"Jane, get him down from there! I'm **NOT** bailing him out again!"

"Just have the car ready, okay?" Sniped a petite woman with long brown hair.

Parker followed the direction in which the group seemed to be heading and noticed that an older looking gentleman was attempting to scale the colossal Ferris wheel.

And then she saw _him_.

Slowly approaching the crazed man was an enormous, muscular man with golden tresses. It was unmistakable, even without his armor. The giant man was the God of Thunder.


	3. Chapter 3: The Sons of Odin

"Shit."

It seemed like the only appropriate response. On one hand, Parker's job had just become infinitely easier - on the other though, she had hoped to have some time to pull herself together and practice what she would say. She had just wanted to go for a walk, clear her head, but apparently the powers that be had decided that it was show time.

Carefully, Parker approached the small, thin brunette who was rushing towards the Eye of London, her eyes fixed on her unstable friend.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Parker called out, jogging to keep up with her.

She must not have realized that Parker was there, because she whirled around, clearly startled.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yea - Yeah, no - everything's fine. Our friend is just a little -" She began, wringing her hands.

"Crazy?" Finished the second, dark haired woman with glasses as she strolled up to stand beside her friend.

"Darcy, I thought I asked you to get the car," The thin woman said with a small, nervous laugh.

Darcy shrugged.

"Chill out, Jane. Ian's got it covered."

"Well, uhm, maybe I can help?" Parker suggested before the two women could continue their spat.

She nervously glanced over to see if the man had made much progress while she waited for a response.

He hadn't.

Jane and Darcy exchanged a look and just kind of raised their hands so as to say "Why the hell not?"

"Yeah, okay. He doesn't seem like he's having much luck, so yeah - give it a shot," Jane said, motioning towards the Ferris wheel.

"Erik, my friend, do not force me to come after you," Parker heard the low, warning voice of the God of Thunder call out as she came to stand beside him.

Just to reiterate; that man was fucking _massive_. He had to be roughly 6'6 and was simply a wall of solid muscle with some skin stretched over it. He dwarfed Parker by easily a foot and some change – that's not to say that dwarfing Parker was a particularly impressive feat, she was an exceptionally petite woman but Thor was a big guy by anyone's standards.

"Hey, hi..." She greeted him awkwardly, immediately cursing inwardly at herself. "Mind if I give it a shot?"

Thor turned his gaze to the small woman and Parker found that his eyes were almost difficult to look at, they were so vibrantly blue - they were **electrifying**, which seemed fitting. He glanced quickly over his shoulder to Jane, who nodded in a kind of quiet confirmation that it was okay.

"As you wish. Though, you should know that he will not see reason," He said, offering Parker an apologetic smile.

She smiled softly at him before taking a couple of steps forward.

"Uh, hi! Sir?! Wha - what exactly is it that you're trying to do?!" She inquired.

"If I can just get to the top, I..." Erik trailed off, getting lost in his own thoughts.

"Well, if you need to get up high somewhere, don't you think that it might be _SAFER_ to do so elsewhere maybe?"

Erik stared down at the girl for a moment as if he were considering her words, before again attempting to climb further up the structure.

"Damn. He really does not wanna listen, does he? "She muttered.

"No he does not," Thor concurred.

Unexpectedly, Erik lost his traction and began to fall from the beams. Before she knew it, Parker found herself next to him in midair, twisting her body and wrapping her arms tightly around his midsection. She pressed her eyes shut, concentrating, and then she felt the beautiful, familiar feeling of solid ground beneath her feet.

She opened her eyes to see that Jane, Darcy, and Thor had gathered around them, a mixture of astonishment and confusion written across their faces.

"That was amazing! How'd you do that?!" Jane blurted out.

Parker chuckled nervously, releasing Erik and running a hand through her long red hair that had become slightly disheveled from the trip.

"Just...genetics, I guess," She hoped that that would be a passable answer, and though it was obvious that Jane still had questions, she seemed to accept it and thanked her quietly, wrapping a blanket over Erik's shoulders and guiding him to their vehicle.

"Nice catch," Darcy remarked with an appreciative smile and nod before excusing herself to go join Jane.

She returned the gesture and continued to stand in place, trying to will her heart to stop pounding.

"That was extraordinary. My thanks, miss," Thor thanked her, a small laugh rumbling in his chest. He gave her a light pat on the shoulder as he started towards the car where his friends waited for him.

"Hey, Th - erm - Sir!?" Parker called after him.

He turned and met her gaze. She considered for a moment how odd it was that someone so big and imposing could have such a kind, thoughtful aura about them.

"Yes?"

"I, uhh...," _Great start, Parker,_ "I think that there's something I ought to tell you..."

* * *

A man sat quietly, resting his eyes with dried mud and splotches of old blood covered his body from head to toe. Thick chains were tangled around the man's wrists and waist, securing him to the snow white wall of his prison cell. He opened a single eye for a moment, peering out through the gold tinted barrier to see nothing - nothing but dark stone and other, although empty, holding cells. He closed his eye again, attempting to find peace for himself, if only for a moment, when the loud sound of the heavy doors to that hell, again called him away from his pursuit. The sound of footsteps echoed off of the walls, getting louder and louder before three men came to stand in front of the prisoners cell. The man stared into the face of the Allfather. Beside him stood two guards, ready to protect their king.

"Leave us," The Allfather instructed, his voice even, unreadable.

"My King -" One of the men started, uncomfortable with the king's order.

"Now," He did not raise his voice, but the warning was there.

The men complied, not needing to be told again.

"Why have you come this time? Do you intend to mock me while you wear my face? "The prisoner sighed in annoyance once the guards were gone.

A menacing smile spread across the Allfather's face.

"Not this time, old man. No -this time I come with news."

A shimmer of green engulfed the two men, revealing their true forms. An exhausted looking Odin, riddled with nasty cuts and bruises, sat chained to the wall. In place of the faux king stood a tall, slender man whose pale skin was emphasized by his dark clothing and long ink black hair. His sharp, handsome facial features did little to mask the evil underneath.

"News of what, Loki? News of how you've destroyed my kingdom?" Odin jabbed at his youngest.

The young god did not appear to be fazed.

"Your dear old friend, Brael - you remember him, do you not? Your Master of Magic, slain in battle?" Loki began, sardonically.

Odin remained silent, waiting for him to make his point.

"Yes, well..." Loki started again after Odin didn't respond, "imagine my surprise, when I come to find the old mage is alive and well, living a quiet life amongst the mortals of Midgard. It would appear that you've had Heimdall keeping tabs on him for you all this time. Tell me, did you know that he'd become a father?"

Odin nodded lightly, "I did."

Loki let out a soft chuckle, though the feeling was far from humorous.

"How noble it was of you to play him off as a hero, a man who'd chose a mortal over his own people."

Again, Odin said nothing.

"It has become evident to the Gatekeeper that this child of Brael's has inherited some of their father's _talents_. Were you aware?" Loki inquired.

Odin met Loki's gaze and measured his response for a moment.

"I was not, though I am not surprised."

"No, I didn't expect you would be. Though you may be interested to know that by some...chance of fate, it would seem that the little mutt has come to meet Thor," Loki snarled, the sheer thought of the situation setting his teeth on edge.

It fell silent for a few minutes before Loki spoke again.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

"No," The Allfather answered.

Loki thought over his answer before stepping up close to the barrier.

"I certainly hope that you don't. Because should I come to find anything to suggest the contrary, I will personally rip that pathetic girl limb from bloody limb - and you, I will leave to the mercy of her father," He threatened, his voice a low growl as the green shimmer surrounded them, returning them to their previous forms.

Loki, again wearing the appearance of Odin, left the dungeon without another word. The prisoner closed his eye once more, silently thanking the powers that be.

The girl had heard him.

* * *

Parker had thought that perhaps a nice, hot shower and a change of clothes would help to calm her nerves...

It did not.

She quickly threw on a pair of pants and a powder blue T-shirt, barely allowing enough time for her skin to dry as she ran her fingers through her tangled mess of damp hair in attempt to make it appear tame. When that failed, she did what any sensible woman would do and tied the shit up.

Hastily, she turned and started gathering up her dirty clothes and other belongings, stuffing them into the only bag that she had brought with her. Of course, now that Parker was trying to move and move _urgently_ the bag didn't seem quite big enough to fit everything and would only zip part of the way up. She kept trying though, pulling aggressively on the stupid little piece of metal, eventually getting the zipper snagged.

"You little fucker..." She growled.

"_It'll have to be good enough,_" She told herself, accepting the fact that she was just defeated by an inanimate object.

Grumbling, the redhead slung the bag over her shoulder and left, heading back towards Jane's apartment. Last night, after she had explained everything that she had seen, Thor and Jane both insisted that she stay close, saying that they felt it was "in everyone's best interests" that they work together, although to be honest, at this point, Parker wasn't really sure what exactly it was that they were supposed to do. She had spilled everything to Thor and gotten little back in response -no possible explanation, no anything - he barely said a word, though what she had seen in his face troubled her - everything he wouldn't say out loud was screaming in his eyes; there she saw a dreadful mixture of rage, horror, and pain. Parker knew that what she had told him had meant something to him, but he was not about to tell her. Not yet anyway. And she couldn't really blame him for not wanting to share, he had just met her. She thought it odd at first that they would insist upon having her stay with them considering that fact - it's not often nowadays that people will invite strangers into their home, but she figured that with Thor there, she didn't pose much of a threat. Still, Thor wanted Parker nearby, and although he told her it was in case she had another vision, she could feel that there was something else, some other reason he didn't want to say.

She hurriedly made her way down the sidewalk, weaving in between people as she went, before she smashed into the back of some poor guy, knocking a magazine out of his hands and spilling half of the contents of her bag across the pavement.

"I am SO sorry, sir. I didn't even..."Parker began, beyond mortified. She could feel her cheeks burning red.

"No apology necessary, " The man spoke softly. The sound of his voice instantly sent a chill down her spine that radiated out through every limb. There was a certain...smoothness to the sound that she had never encountered before...it was lovely.

She turned her eyes up to look at him, as he loomed over her nearly as much as Thor had. This man was exceptionally striking - strong jaw, cheekbones a woman would kill for, and thick, dark lashes to match his hair. After a moment, Parker figured that she probably looked like a freak and tore her eyes away, focusing instead on the items that had fallen from her bag. She stooped down and started shoving her things back into the useless sack.

"I promise you, I don't usually go around knocking people over." She explained, trying to hide her face a little so he wouldn't see it getting redder and redder.

The man snickered. "No, I don't suspect you do."

She wasn't sure, but it sounded like an insult. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that you'd be very bad at it." He said with a smile.

Parker couldn't help but laugh a little. "Yeah...yeah that's probably true."

"Allow me." He offered, crouching down and gathering up a few of her belongings.

"Oh - thanks." She replied as she took a hoodie and pair of pajama bottoms from his hands.

She wadded the clothes up and put them in the bag. When Parker looked up, she found the man holding the photo of her parents between his long fingers. He didn't appear to be passively looking at it, it was more of an analytical type of stare, but that wasn't what bothered her. She could've sworn that she had seen something akin to recognition flash across his face.

Parker cleared her throat and he turned his eyes upon the girl.

Her heart stopped.

"Lovely family..." He complimented in a low voice, handing the photograph to her, his green eyes locked on her blue ones.

"Thank you." She replied softly, shoving the picture out of sight.

"So tell me, what brings you to London, love? Business or pleasure? "

"Business." Parker answered quickly. "In fact, I really should be going."

A knowing smile spread across his face. "Pity."

He stood and offered her his hand to help her to her feet, which she reluctantly accepted, feeling the coolness of his skin against her own. Every part of her wanted to run away screaming. _Those eyes_. She fucking _knew_ those eyes.

Shit.

"On your way then." He spoke gently.

"Yeah, uhm...well, thanks again..." She stuttered, giving a small wave as she turned to leave.

"Do take care, love..."

Funny, it sounded more like a warning...


	4. Chapter 4: The God of Mischief

_"Shit, Parker, shit! What the FUCK did you just do?!"_

She pressed her eyes shut, trying to silence the voice screaming at her from the back of her head.

_"Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe he's just some weird guy. Maybe - Maybe you should stop being a dipshit!"_

Parker cursed under her breath, wishing that she could stop the internal dialog as she walked briskly down the side of another street. She was growing increasingly frustrated as she went; it hadn't been this difficult to find her way back to the hotel from Jane's apartment this morning - they weren't all that far from each other, for God's sake - but she felt like she was running around in circles now.

Lost in thought, she narrowly avoided losing her footing over a small green apple that had tumbled off of a nearby fruit stand.

_"It's really just gonna be one thing after another today, isn't it?" __Parker_ thought as she turned one more corner, running her hand down her face. She was starting to feel sick, likely due in part to stress. Her head was spinning, her hands were shaking, and her peripherals were starting to go hazy.

She kept telling herself to keep going, to just keep on her merry way. She kept trying to shake what had happened with the green eyed man out of her mind, though it was of no use. She had handled it poorly, she admitted. If he wasn't suspicious of her before, he certainly would be after that hasty exit. Nothing says that you've got nothing to hide like making up some piss poor excuse to leave. Actually, she didn't recall if she had even made an excuse, she had just kind of dipped out. Smooth.

Parker was ripped abruptly from her thoughts when she felt her ankle roll as she brought her foot down on a tiny, spherical object.

"Son of a-" She stopped as her eyes found the item that'd nearly taken her out.

A small green apple.

"I feel like we've met before..." Parker murmured, taking the apple into her hand. In fact, as she stood, her eyes scanning her surroundings, the whole street looked very familiar. From the little red car parked up ahead, to the fruit stand to her left, to the apple in her hand...

"What the fuck?" She mouthed as she looked around in disbelief. She had definitely just been on this street...but there had unquestionably been people out and about the first time around.

"Hello?" The small woman called out, searching for an indication of life.

"Anyone?"

No answer.

"Great...just great." She whispered, feeling the panic that she'd hoped to have buried starting to rise.

_"You have a phone. Use it."_

Parker's eyes brightened at the thought. Fumbling through the smaller outside pocket of her bag, She pulled the thin, white device out and started thumbing through her contacts.

That's when it hit her; it felt comparable of having a brick wall smash into her front. The force of it knocked Parker onto her back and literally took her breath away. She could feel a warm stream of blood trickle from her nose, dripping onto her lips as she turned her gaze to the shaking hand that held her phone. The gadget was destroyed, shards of the touchscreen had sliced her palm. She let the mangled device fall to the ground as she stood.

"What do you want?" She breathed shakily.

"_Now_...I had expected more of a fight." Came a familiar voice.

It was him. Of course it was him.

"Who are you?"

He smiled. That fucking smile. There was no friendliness to be found in it. It just looked _wrong_.

"I am Loki, of Asgard. And may I ask, what does the daughter of Brael call herself? "

Fuck.

"How do you -" She began.

"There is not a man, woman, or child in all of Asgard that does not know your fathers face. Now, I will not ask you twice, girl." He explained darkly.

"It's Parker. My name's Parker. "

"Mm." He acknowledged, seemingly incredibly underwhelmed. "Well, it is a..._pleasure_ to make your acquaintance. Now, I'm going to have to insist that you come with me."

The girl scoffed. "Ooooh, no. No, I don't think so. No."

"I'm not asking." He replied lowly as he approached.

Before he could put his hands on her, Parker closed her eyes and she was behind him, a pulse of energy surging out of her, crashing into the raven haired man as he turned. She saw his lower lip split, spilling crimson down his porcelain skin. He wiped at the blood with the back of his hand and turned his surprised gaze to her. The expression quickly turned to rage.

"That was very foolish, girl." He snarled, stalking towards Parker.

Sending out more blasts, she tried to hit him again but only succeeded in blowing up chunks of pavement before she felt an incredible pressure at the back of her skull. The last thing she could remember before everything went black was watching the Loki in front of her shimmer away.

* * *

Amber eyes gaze out into the vast universe before them. Trillions upon trillions of souls and he can pin point a single one of them with ease. He sees a man and a woman at home, preparing dinner together as they always do. Behind the smile that his old friend wears, the gatekeeper can see the toll that worry has taken on him. The man's daughter, his only child - the gatekeeper can tell that he worries for her greatly. He tries to turn his gaze upon her and to the gatekeepers surprise, he finds that he can't. He cannot see her anywhere.

* * *

Why did it have to be her?

She didn't mean to complain, but that question seemed to be a reoccurring thing in the back of her mind lately. Why did this have to happen to her? She was perfectly content to merely exist in the eyes of the world, to live a quiet life back in Michigan - live there, die there, completely ordinary, but she supposed it just wasn't meant to be.

Parker woke up on the floor, tucked into the corner of a large study with a thin, white blanket laid out on the floor beneath her, shielding her body from the cold stone below. There were a few bookcases that were absolutely filled to capacity, which was impressive considering their massive size, a central fireplace, and a small, round table off to the side that held various odds and ends - a couple of books, some papers, and a few vials filled with brightly colored, glowing liquids. Somebody's work space, no doubt.

She gingerly ran her fingertips across her temples; every pulse sending out another quick wave of stabbing pain.

For someone so skinny, he sure hit like a fucking truck.

Forcing herself to ignore the pain, she pushed herself to her feet, scanning her environment before she headed towards the bulky, wooden door. As she wrapped a hand around the door knob, she swiftly felt an intense burning sensation; she tried to push through it but it was impossible as the feeling grew to such an extent that it felt like she was dipping her hand in molten lava. Parker looked to her hand to assess the damage, but apart from the preexisting wounds to her palms, courtesy of Loki, the hand appeared unharmed. Turning her gaze again to the door knob, she noticed a faint, green shimmer encasing it.

Figures.

_"Way to go, Parker. Hours - just HOURS - and you're already a prisoner."_

Allowing herself to fall back against the door, she slid down into a seated position, silently cursing herself.

Honestly, that had to have been some kind of record. She was so irritated with herself; she was the absolute last person who should have been given responsibility of that magnitude; she was clumsy and weak – she was not brave, she was far from being anything resembling a warrior...

She was not her father.

Her father would have whooped that pretty boy's ass and sent him to bed without dinner. Problem solved.

_"This is no one's fault but your own. You got yourself here, now _**fix it**_."_

"Right." Parker muttered, pulling herself to her feet once again, scanning the room for potential alternative exits; a large window located directly above the round table seemed to be the only possibility.

Climbing atop the small table, Parker was barely tall enough to see the outside world, but what she could see was magnificent. She could see beautiful blue waters stretching on for miles in the distance, and beyond them stood these gigantic mountains with blankets of snow at their peaks. The afternoon sun was shining brilliantly, its warm light cascading over the golden structures below.

Far, far below, unfortunately.

She tore herself away from the window; there was no way that she could escape through it and live, and the more that she gazed out into the beautiful scenery, the greater the longing to be a part of it became.

Parker stood for a moment, considering what actions she should take next before turning her eyes to the massive bookcases. Perhaps something in one of those books could spark some inspiration?

With the obvious choices for escape out of the running, she had to come up with something.

_"Teleport, you idiot!"_

It hit her like a sack of bricks. Of course, why the hell didn't she think of it before?

She pressed her eyes shut and concentrated as hard as she could. She felt herself start to go before smashing into the wall, a familiar burning sensation dancing across her skin.

"The fuck?" Parker growled, opening her eyes to find that she had gone **nowhere**, the walls of the room now shimmering green as well.

This guy was really starting to piss her off.

Time passed so slowly - hour after hour after hour in silence, trying to formulate a plan, a good one, in order leave this place still breathing. That man was not stupid and it was going to take one hell of a plot and maybe even a little miracle to get out from under his thumb.

The sun had long since set, and she had decided to light a fire in the fireplace and call it a day. Parker had given up on trying to read many of the books she had taken from the shelves, as many of them were in a foreign language and she was unable read them, and no sooner had she crawled into her corner, the door opened.

It was him. She wasn't surprised, she had practically been waiting for him all day. She had half a mind to ask him what had taken him so long, but she didn't. He looked..._tired. _And Parker certainly didn't want to irritate him right off the bat.

"Hi," She spoke, breaking the silence.

He flicked his eyes towards her, quickly looking her up and down, making her feel incredibly self-conscious in an instant.

"Good evening." He replied with a small sigh as he crossed the room to sit at the table, allowing himself to fall into the chair.

"Where am I?" Parker asked, hating how small her voice sounded as she spoke.

He just looked at her for a moment, neither kindness nor malice evident in his eyes.

"Asgard." He responded simply. "More specifically, you're in my study."

He sounded bored.

"Why?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why? As in why am I here instead of locked up in a cell somewhere? "

He laughed at this. A genuine laugh.

"Ohh, sweet girl. There is no need for such precautions, not with you."

Asshole.

"Besides," He continued, "you are safer here, where no one can see nor hear you."

"And how do you know that no one will hear or see me?"

He grinned a mischievous, knowing grin.

"My quarters have been deemed off limits to all Asgardian's, including the Royal Guards."

"Why?"

"Out of respect for the dead, I suppose."

Her confusion must have been plain as day on her face.

"Ah, I gather Thor must have left that part out during your little chat." He jabbed.

"He didn't say much of anything, actually." She muttered.

"And what of you? What did you have to say to my dear brother? "He practically spat the last few words.

Damn.

"Not much..." Parker lied. "Just asked him about New York and the Avengers..."

It seemed believable to her.

He chuckled softly. "You mean to deceive me, girl? Do you have any idea of to whom it is you speak? "

She shrugged. "Your name is vaguely familiar. I think my father mentioned you before, why?"

"Dishonesty is a part of my arsenal, child. I know a lie when I hear one."

"Oh."

"So tell me, how is it that you recognized me back in London? From New York, perhaps? "

"What? The alien invasion? No - Why, were you there? "She asked.

The media had portrayed the attack in New York as more of an alien invasion than anything else, with little to no mention of any other involvement, save for that of Thor and the Avengers.

Loki's thin lips tightened in aggravation.

"An alien invasion? Is that what they're calling it? "

"Yeah, why?"

He shot Parker a murderous look that told her that she should shut up, and she did.

"How, then, did you recognize me?" He asked.

"My father used to tell me stories, I think he described you to me before. I saw your eyes and it just kind of clicked." She lied, despite his previous claim.

He rolled his eyes.

"I am not in a gaming mood, girl." He warned. "Tell me how you happened upon Thor."

Parker told him the truth, mostly at least. She explained to him that she couldn't sleep so she had went for a walk and found Thor trying to coax his friend, Erik, off of the Eye of London. Then it was Loki's turn to be confused.

"According to Thor, Erik has had a rough go of things lately and it's left him a bit unstable." Parker clarified.

"Ah. Yes, I'm sure it has." He snickered.

"What?"

"What was it that -" He began again, ignoring her question completely.

"What did you mean when you said that no one would come here out of respect for the dead?" She spoke over him.

He stared at her for a moment, as if he were trying to decide whether he wanted to be angry or not over her intrusion.

"I think this will go easier if it's more like a conversation and less like an interrogation, is all. You answer my questions, and I'll answer yours," The girl added.

He tilted his head at her and smirked.

"You are a prisoner here, you don't have the luxury of deciding which method of interrogation you are subject to. And trust me, child, I can get the answers I seek with or without your cooperation. "He threatened lowly. "However, to answer your question, the Asgardian people believe that I was slain in battle against the Dark Elves."

"How do you get around then, if everyone thinks you're dead?"

His smirk widened.

"I have an aptitude for concealing myself so that no one may recognize me, even while they speak to me directly."

And all of a sudden she got it - her vision of Odin on the throne, but Odin being held prisoner at the same time, it now made sense.

Loki was a shapeshifter.

Worse, Loki was king of Asgard.

* * *

Parker's poker face must have been truly wretched because it took mere seconds for Loki to recognize that _something _he had said had made a whole lot of sense to her.

"What was that?" He inquired darkly, stepping closer.

"What was what?"

"You're trying my patience, child." He snarled. "Tell me what you know."

"I don't _know_ anything!" She insisted, throwing her hands up as if they would shield her.

Parker knew that lying would do her no favors, but the way she saw it, she really didn't know much and the little she did know, she wasn't about to share with _him_. She may not have been hero material but she sure as hell wasn't going to allow herself to be the one who spilled everything to the bad guy. She just wished that she had known beforehand exactly how poor of a decision it was to lie to this particular god.

The feeling, like a fistful of tiny, razor sharp blades being pushed and twisted into her brain, shot excruciating pain throughout her entire body. It felt like this went on for hours although she knew it was mere seconds before he stopped.

"There are easier ways to go about this, girl. I _will _find out what I need to know one way or the other, but know that should you choose not to cooperate, I have no quarrel with tearing your little mind apart piece by piece." He hissed, stepping even closer.

She could have reached out and touched him if she were so inclined, but she was paralyzed. He had paused his attack on her mind, but the pain had not subsided. Not in the slightest.

Parker remained silent, not even sure if she could have spoken if she had wanted to.

He came at her again, the same pain came rolling through her once more. Parker's eyes began to water involuntarily and she could taste the metallic flavor of blood on her tongue. Flashing images ripped their way to the surface of her mind, in them she saw Director Fury and the old, abandoned building back in Detroit. He was pulling up her memories...

The intrusion ceased again.

It felt like it took all of her strength to do so, but she turned her eyes to the raven haired god, curious as to why he hadn't spoken yet. Something danced across his face, if only for a moment, something that looked an awful lot like fear.

"What is SHIELD's interest in the Infinity Gauntlet?" He asked lowly after a moment. "What is it that they know?"

"I don't know." Parker answered weakly.

"Have they spoken to Thor?" He inquired, his voice growing somewhat anxious.

She didn't speak. She just scanned his face with her eyes, and for a second she could've sworn that the man standing in front of her was not the all-powerful God of Chaos, but a frightened, vulnerable child.

"What are you so afraid of?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

The god quickly regained his composure, his worry turning to rage, and she knew to expect another attack. She pressed her eyes close, drawing into herself in attempt to just block everything out. Parker felt a heaviness inside of her skull that was accompanied by a few quick flickers, and then it was over.

She heard Loki grunt in pain and opened her eyes to see that he had recoiled away from her, a hand held to his temple. He turned his eyes to Parker, a look of disbelief on his face as again everything faded to black.

* * *

"Any luck?" Jane asked the God of Thunder, looking up from her crossword puzzle as he entered the kitchen. The deep frown that had formed on his face practically answered that question for him.

"No." He sighed, shaking his head lightly as he took the seat opposite of Jane. "I've not been able to find trace of her anywhere."

"Do you think she mighta skipped town or something?" Darcy's muffled voice called from in front of the television, her mouth half full of bagel.

Jane quirked an eyebrow at Thor, but the blonde god just shook his head.

"No...I trust that she was genuine. And with the things that she's seen...should they prove to be true, I fear that she could be in danger." He replied somberly.

"Well, what do you think? Should we get ahold of SHIELD? "Jane suggested.

Thor was silent for a minute as he considered her words.

"Jane, if Parker is in the hands of SHIELD, then it is likely that no harm will come to her. But if not, then it is possible that she may not be safe. If that is the case then her time is limited, and I must act now."

"How do you expect to do that? We don't even know where she is."

Thor leaned forward, taking Jane's petite hand in his.

"Maybe not, but I have a pretty good idea."

* * *

It was early morning when Parker woke again, the sun just starting to rise, spilling a tiny bit of its light through the windows. She opened her eyes to find herself in a beautiful bedroom; it was a good size room with two large bookcases, a work table, a large dresser...Everything in the room was very ornate, to the point that the whole area kind of felt like something out of an old painting. The bed that she was resting in was almost unnaturally soft and extraordinarily attractive, with forest green fabrics trimmed in gold.

"You are a _fragile_ little creature, aren't you?" She heard him speak before she saw him.

He was seated in a nearby chair, skimming through a tattered, old book. Dropping it into his lap, he folded his hands politely.

"Fuck off." Parker heard hereself snarl.

She didn't know whether it was her frustration at the situation, the resentment she felt towards her captor, or a combination of everything that made her stop caring whether or not she angered him, but at that point she simply wasn't in the mood.

"Now, now. Surely you were raised better than _that._" He taunted, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Ok – look," She snapped, "I'm not in the mood to play games with you, so if you're here looking for more answers, you're going to be very disappointed."

"How charming. You must think you're so brave."

"No." Parker cut in. "No, this has nothing to do with that. This is only because I don't fucking like you."

"You **wound** me - here I thought I was being so kind, allowing to recover in my bed." He practically purred.

The girl rolled her eyes and it fell quiet for a second.

"So…are you going to kill me?" She asked abruptly.

The question had caught him off guard, however his response was quick.

"I'm not sure." He answered quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"I haven't decided." He repeated, much more firmly this time.

"May I ask, what is the hold up?"

He sighed and took a seat at the edge of the bed, far too close for comfort for her, but she dealt with it.

"There is much that you don't know about this world, girl. For example, here, strength is valued far more than talent or intelligence, and those who fall to one side rather than the other tend to find themselves...cast aside. Like a lot of rubbish. When I was a young boy, it became very evident which side I was to fall to, and so my mother, with the assistance of the most powerful mage in all of Asgard, instructed me in the art of magic. That mage was your father, and he taught me much of what I know. It is the respect that I have for him that stands as the only reason I have yet to make a decision. Though do not make the mistake of believing it will protect you forever."

"I won't."

He smirked and with that he stood and left without as much as a backwards glance, leaving her all by herself again.

It was welcomed though, it provided her with the opportunity to think back on what she had seen the last time he had tried to attack her mind. A few images of Odin, a grotesque alien figure...

A glimpse of a towering, purple mutant.


	5. Chapter 5: A Benevolent God

The golden hall stood quiet as the Allfather sat upon his extravagant throne, lost in his thoughts – at least in the eyes of everybody around him, that's how it would appear.

They would never have fathomed that it was really the God of Mischief.

It made his skin crawl – wearing the face of the man he so loathed – but it was a means to an end. At long last, he had the authority and the reverence that he so deserved, though he found it considerably less gratifying than he had hoped - in fact, he found himself nigh on detesting his new title. Although he was perfectly ready to confess that satisfaction was not in his nature, he had anticipated that this particular feat would be different - something was getting in his way, and he knew precisely what that _something_ was. It would be virtually impossible for him to enjoy his reign as king until he was rid of that bothersome mutant.

Loki let out a hushed sound of disgust at the mere thought of the Titanian Eternal – he found the monsters motives pathetic, but Loki wasn't senseless and for that reason he was not about to step in the creature's way – though exactly how long Loki could endure being his minion was an entirely different story.

Footsteps resonated through the hall, pulling the god back to the present. The armor clad gatekeeper approached the throne and kneeled, placing his fist over his heart.

"My king." Heimdall's deep voice came, courteously addressing his ruler.

"Heimdall." Loki acknowledged the gatekeeper in return. "What news do you bring today?"

Heimdall turned his amber eyes up to meet Loki's. This often made the young god slightly uncomfortable – as confident in his abilities as he was, not much got passed the gatekeeper and he half expected the man to recognize him for who he really was.

"All is well with Brael, though he worries for his daughter." Heimdall began as Loki nodded and waited for him to continue. "In regards to his daughter though, I'm afraid I have troubling news."

_I suspect you do._

"And what news is that?" Loki inquired, as if he did not already know.

"I cannot see her, my King."

"Ah."

The gatekeeper opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as he tried to process the response – or lack thereof – of the king to this update.

"Pardon me, my king, but is that not cause for alarm?" Heimdall inquired once he found his words again.

"Not necessarily, no. It is not altogether uncommon for those with an aptitude for magic to develop the ability to hide themselves should they feel so inclined." Loki brushed off the gatekeeper's unease.

Heimdall bobbed his head softly. "This is true, my king – a _practiced_ magician would have little trouble cloaking themselves in such a way, but Parker has yet to display that level of stability in her powers."

"Perhaps she's not doing it on purpose." Loki began, "I agree that the girl has very little control over her powers but it is entirely possible that this ability is just now emerging. She may be, as of yet, unaware of it. I would not be surprised to find her wholly ignorant of the fact that she is doing anything at all."

Heimdall nodded in acknowledgment. "That is very possible, my King. It is also possible that there is another, practiced in the art of magic, who does not wish me to see her."

The gatekeepers sharp tone made every muscle in Loki's body go rigid as a mixture of anxiety and rage nearly made its way to the surface – it would have compromised him in an instant had he not managed to hold it back.

"We mustn't jump to conclusions," Loki spoke after a moment, "keep an eye out and let me know if there are any changes."

With that, he excused Heimdall, watching the man as he departed.

_Parker._

He let out a low, aggravated growl.

That damn girl was proving to be much more of a hassle than he had hoped for.

Loki gently grazed his fingertip across the sore, red mark that she had left upon his lips – he was still finding it hard to believe that she had managed to get a hit in on him - not just once, but _twice_. As much as he may have hated to admit it, he found himself mildly impressed by her. She had merely gotten lucky, no doubt – that much was clear by the surprise that had been reflected on her face – but it was also evident to Loki from the moment he had first laid eyes on the girl that the amount of power she held within her was immense; thankfully for him, she apparently hadn't figured out how to tap into it yet, at least not on purpose.

He still wasn't sure whether or not he would take her life after all was said and done, but the thought of it, vexingly enough, left him with a sour feeling. She was just an absurd girl who had clearly had bitten off much more than she could chew - her only redeeming quality, in his opinion, was her beautiful face - but even that would do her no favors. No, it was the girl's father that was making this decision so difficult for him – the memory of his mentor serving almost like a conscience.

The god sighed, holding his head in his hands.

Perhaps if he waited long enough, it would no longer be _his_ decision.

* * *

The sun rests just above the horizon, slowly sinking, taking its brilliant light with it. It will soon be night in the city of London.

Jane Foster stands wrapped in a fleece blanket on the patio of her apartment.

"How are you going to get to Asgard if Heimdall won't open the bifrost to you?" She asks softly.

Standing before her is Thor in his silver and black armor, his bright red cape draped over his shoulders. He offers his love a genuine smile.

"There are a handful of ways into Asgard." He begins, "And as clever as Loki may be, there is one here on Earth that even he is unaware of."

"So, you really think it's him, then?"

Thor's smile wavers a bit. "I do."

"Well," Jane speaks again after a moment, "where is this entrance?"

Thor takes a couple of steps towards Jane, closing the distance between them. He looks down at her, his face kind.

"In the land your people call Norway, there is an ancient cave. Inside of this cave there is a kind of portal – a gateway to our realm. I will use this to return to Asgard and stop Loki…for the last time."

Jane offers the god a small smile.

"Be careful."

Thor lets out a small chuckle.

"Of course." He says.

"I mean it."

The god of Thunder smiles thoughtfully at Jane before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"I will return to you, that much I promise." He assures her.

Thor backs away from the small woman as his hammer, Mjolnir, comes soaring overhead. He reaches out a large hand and effortlessly takes hold of the handle, rapidly disappearing into the distance.

* * *

Gusts of wind tore through the land violently, throwing an endless sheet of snow and ice into the air. Even having been to the realm of the Frost Giants, the God of Thunder found this place to be particularly unforgiving. The visibility was poor, it was bitterly cold, and he was having difficulty keeping his footing. It had taken much longer than he had anticipated, but eventually Thor spotted a dark cavern, the entrance almost completely blocked off by a large drift of snow.

Clearing away a substantial portion of the mound, he finally managed to slip inside of the cave. The dark stone was covered in etchings from floor to ceiling that grew in mass and intricacy as the god delved deeper. It was not long before Thor heard a soft humming sound resonating through the cavern and came to find a fluid-like, flickering barrier of gold before him. The God of Thunder smiled to himself, knowing he had found the gateway.

* * *

Three days.

It had been three days since Loki had taken Parker as his captive, and it hadn't occurred to him that perhaps the frail girl would require feeding. Having just finished lunch himself, he considered that it may be in his best interest to provide her with food before she succumbed to starvation. She would be little good to him dead, though she was not proving to be much good to him alive, either at this point. The idea crossed his mind that should it come down to it - should he need to be rid of her - that this method would stand towards the top of his list as to how to handle it. Ignoring her to death would surely be much easier, at least on his part.

Although the banquet table that stood before Loki had already been rather picked over, there was still a considerable amount of food left. He carefully plucked bits and pieces off of the serving platters, dropping them softly onto a separate, smaller plate for his prisoner. He sneered as he thought of how easy the mortal had it. He was allowing her to stay in relative comfort, and here he was now, bringing her real food – not the slop he had been brought during his stay in the dungeons.

A benevolent god, indeed.

Once he had salvaged what he could, the raven hair god turned on his heel and made his way towards his chambers, where the girl had taken up residency.

* * *

Parker was sitting pretzel-style in the middle of Loki's enormous bed, flipping through a small journal she had found in one of the compartments of his worktable earlier that day. It was one of the only things that she could find that she was actually capable of reading, and she thought that maybe it could give her some insight. Unfortunately, it became apparent rather quickly that this was a very, very old journal – from when Loki was a boy, in fact – and held no information that would help her in her current predicament.

In his writings, Loki recounted lessons with his mother and training sessions with her father, whom he referred to as "Lord Brael". She chuckled a little bit – she couldn't help it – it was hard to picture her father as anything but the man that she knew; the man that she had to give lessons to on how to use his iPhone, the man who would sing loudly and dance with her mother in the kitchen as they prepared dinner together – _that_ was her dad.

It was very clear in Loki's writings that he felt like an outcast, a mere blip on the radar in comparison to his older brother. It was also apparent that he held his mother, whom he lovingly referred to simply as "mum", and her father in very high reverence, and she'd be lying if she said that it didn't warm her heart a little bit. To picture her father mentoring the little boy who had written those words – it was a good feeling – but the feeling was quickly diminished as she reminded myself who that little boy turned out to be, and how he had used those teachings to commit horrendous acts of violence.

The door swung open with a loud creak as the young god entered the room. He held in his hands a small, white plate with an assortment of food on it that Parker could not tear her eyes away from. The pangs of hunger had been clawing at her since the day before and she was just about ready to consider alternative sources of nourishment. She was so engrossed by the vision of food before her that she had completely forgotten that she held an incredibly personal possession of Loki's in her hands.

"Let's trade, shall we?" Loki's voice came briskly as he dropped the plate next to her on the bed and swiftly snatched the journal from her fingers, tucking it under his arm protectively.

"Sounds like you were a pretty sad kid." Parker commented as he turned away.

"Eat." He ordered, brushing the remark off like nothing.

She instantly complied and began picking at what looked like some kind of roast, trying very hard to not just bury her face in it as she watched Loki slowly take a seat in front of his worktable. It was silent for a moment before Parker spoke again.

"What was he like?"

"Pardon?" Loki asked, genuinely confused.

"My dad. What was he like before…?" She motioned with her hands, failing to find her words.

"Before you?" He finished for her.

"Yeah. Well, before he met my mother, I guess."

"Mm." Loki nodded. He didn't speak for a little while as he considered his answer.

"Quiet." He answered finally.

Not the response she had expected.

"What?"

Loki shot her a sideways glance before rolling his eyes and turning to face Parker fully.

"What is it you expect me to say, child? Your father always was a man of very few words when I knew him, which begs the question – where did you acquire this trait for incessant chatter? That human mother of yours, no doubt."

The way that he said the word "human", you would think he was referring to a terrible disease. It made her cringe internally.

"Well clearly _somebody's _mother never bothered to teach him manners." Parker muttered so quietly she wasn't even sure if he could really catch it.

He caught it, alright.

In an instant, she was knocked onto her back as Loki hovered over top of her, his cold, long fingers digging into her jaw. His face remained unreadable despite this aggression.

"You are _never _speak of my mother again. Do we have an understanding?" He spoke softly – not gently – but softly. The warning was still undeniably there.

Parker bobbed her head in agreement.

"Good." He replied, roughly releasing his grasp on her face.

He climbed off of the bed, returning to his seat and she decided to make a mental note of the fact that his mother was a sore spot.

She watched as Loki indifferently looked through a pile of papers that sat on his desk and began to jot some words down on a clean piece of parchment. It was uncomfortably quiet for the better part of fifteen minutes as he pointedly ignored the girl. She just kind of sat there, shifting anxiously as she waited for something to happen. Finally he spoke, although he did not bother to look at her.

"So, what did you see?" Was his question.

"Excuse me?"

He set his quill down and turned to face her again, folding his hands in lap.

"The other night as I attempted to look inside your mind, my magic rebounded on me. Our minds were still very much connected at that point, and so I know that you saw something. I would like to know what." He almost sounded polite.

The abrupt shift in his mood made Parker uneasy – he had her pinned a few minutes ago and now here he sat, almost asking nicely for her cooperation.

"I remember seeing a big, purple guy and a really nasty looking alien creature with a kind of weird veil." She admitted.

It wasn't exactly a lie, more like a half-truth. Parker just left out the part where she had seen him arranging to have a crimson fluid, the Aether, moved off of Asgard. She hadn't been lucky enough to catch where it had been sent, but at least she knew that it was floating around in his head somewhere.

Loki seemed to accept her answer, as he merely nodded and turned back to his papers without saying another word.

"Who are they?" Parker heard herself ask.

"Nobody that you need concern yourself with."

* * *

Loki spent the bulk of his afternoon in his chambers with Parker, reading and writing in his journal, occasionally stealing glances of the girl to make sure she wasn't getting into anything he didn't want her to. He found himself feeling a bit annoyed by the fact that in the entire kingdom – in _his _kingdom – the only place that he could withdraw to in order to find solace was now occupied by _her_. Now he had to worry about what she was managing to get her hands on while he wasn't there to babysit her, but he could think of no other place to put her. He couldn't very well put her in the dungeon with Odin, between the two of them they very well may have been able to figure something out. He could not put her in any other part of the palace, either – it would seem odd if someone were to stumble upon her, especially if word were to reach the gatekeeper – imagine his suspicion if he were to find the one soul he cannot see hiding under his nose.

Suddenly, an uproar came reverberating through the palace. Loki and Parker both froze and turned their gazes to one another. The god stood quickly, transforming into himself into the Allfather as he pointed an outstretched finger at Parker.

"Do not move." Was all he said before he disappeared into the hallway.

As soon as Loki had gone, Parker leapt off of the bed. She raced to the door and wrapped her small hand around the door knob – waiting for a moment to see if anything would happen. When nothing did, she proceeded to push the door open, her heart pounding. In his haste, Loki hadn't left any enchantments to keep her imprisoned – he hadn't even locked the door behind him.

This was her chance.


	6. Chapter 6: The Master of Magic

Parked hesitated. She hadn't thought that she would, but now that she was presented with this opportunity, she found herself suddenly very aware of all of the holes in her plan - she had a vague idea of what she ought to do, but not much beyond that. And it just seemed too good to be true – that someone like Loki would take off, leaving nothing in place to keep her there - all this time that she had spent stressing over coming up with a plan and now all she had to do was walk out the door. It was just too easy. She wetted her lips as her eyes darted around, scanning the long corridor before her, knowing that her only chance for escape was somewhere out there, and that she needed to take it – **now**.

And so she pushed forward, carrying herself down the passageway with as much speed as she could muster, the stone floor was cold beneath her bare feet. On impulse, she began heading in the direction that the commotion was coming from, the sound of jubilant voices becoming louder and louder as she approached. She knew that Loki would not be far off from whatever was taking place there, but perhaps whatever _it_ was would keep him - and everyone else, for that matter - preoccupied long enough for her to at least make it out of the palace.

Parker knew where she needed to go – she didn't quite know how to get there – but she knew where she needed to go, nonetheless. It was the only part of her plan that was set in stone: gain access to the dungeon and find Odin. Without his aid, her odds of getting home would be almost completely lost. The Asgardian people, she suspected, would not respond favorably to her presence for multiple reasons - the foremost being her embarrassingly obvious humanity, followed closely by her identity or, more specifically, her father's, although thankfully that would not be something they could tell just by looking at her. That being said, she had long since crossed them off of the list as possible allies, leaving her with virtually no alternative option. It had come down to one, and it had to be him. The one and only person in this bizarre world that she knew of that would help her was locked up and so where ever he was, that's where she needed to be.

She rounded a corner, glancing to the side and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that greeted her. Through a towering archway, she could see into a massive assembly room where a large crowd had gathered, and in the midst of this sea of people stood the God of Thunder himself.

The girl could have literally jumped for joy.

The grim look on Thor's face was unmistakable to her, even as far away as she stood, though his pack of admirers seemed to be entirely oblivious to it. The powerful god scowled up at his brother, who stood before the throne in the guise of their father, holding the king's staff in his hand. Loki tapped the golden staff on the floor, sending a low _thud_ reverberating through the room, causing the crowd to silence themselves in an instant.

"Leave us." Loki ordered coolly.

The mob wasted no time, immediately filing out of the room at their king's command – soon, it was only the two brothers - and Parker, though they were not aware of her presence.

"Loki, I know it is you. Reveal yourself." Thor demanded lowly.

Surprise crossed the god of mischief's face before he let out a puff of air as he chuckled, obeying Thor's command without a fight.

"It's so nice to see you again, brother." He began sarcastically, "What brings you to Asgard?"

"A mortal, actually." Thor replied.

"That seems to be a pattern with you, brother..."

"What have you done with her?"

"What does it matter to you?" Loki sneered. "Why would you come all this way for a silly little girl?"

"That 'silly little girl' knows an awful lot about your scheming, brother. There is more to her than you know."

"Oh – I very much doubt that."

Confusion flashed across Thor's face.

"You haven't a clue who she is, do you?" The younger brother questioned scornfully.

"Enough, Loki! Tell me what you have done!" Thor roared, raising his hammer.

A wicked grin spread across Loki's face as he slowly took a step down towards his brother, his grip tightening around his weapon.

There was going to be a fight, that much was clear, and so Parker figured that she had eavesdropped long enough. She spotted an opening off to the side and darted through it, soon finding herself in a large courtyard. She had made it _just_ outside of the main portion of the palace, and there were citizens and guards _everywhere_. She quickly became painfully aware of how out of place she was. There was no way that she would be able to go unnoticed – and she didn't.

It took mere seconds for someone to notice her, and once one person did, they all started to turn – staring, pointing, and whispering. Parker shifted uncomfortably – what do you do in that situation? If you run you look suspicious, but if you stand there you just look awkward.

"You there! Girl! Don't move!" A young guard barked as he pointed at her with his scepter, briskly walking towards her.

She raised her hands up, spreading her fingers apart in surrender.

"I mean no harm." She squeaked.

"Who are you, Midgardian? How did you get here?"

"I was brought here by – by Loki," Parker began, stumbling over her words, "he's making himself look like the king, and he's not, but he's been acting as king while Odin has been locked up and he's just fucking everything up and so Thor's here and –"

"Enough!" The guard ordered. "Answer me, girl."

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, her words escaping her.

An explosive noise rumbled through the courtyard, so powerful that you could physically feel the vibrations of it. All eyes turned towards the entrance of the palace as parts of the structure began to break off and crumble to the ground. Parker quickly turned her attention back to the guard before her, who was still preoccupied with the sight, and she decided to try again.

"Look, Loki brought me here to keep me captive because I was trying to help Thor. I know that you all think he was killed but he wasn't – he is alive and well and has been disguising himself as Odin this entire time – he's been calling the shots and using his authority to do God knows what, while your real king has been sitting in a jail cell. That's why Thor is here now, and I imagine that is what all _that_ is about." She explained, motioning towards the building.

The man bobbed his softly but remained silent as a group of guards rushed past them. He turned to join them but she reached a hand out, locking him in place as she grasped his wrist.

"Thor can handle himself, but I need your help to find the Allfather."

His eyes shifted back and forth between Parker and the palace, he was clearly conflicted.

"Please." She urged.

The young guard reluctantly nodded.

"Ye- yes, of course. Follow me."

They crossed the courtyard and weaved in and out of a fistful of long corridors before pushing past an enormous set of doors. They hurried down a dark, stone staircase that seemed to stretch on forever before Parker found herself in a familiar place.

The dirty looking stone, the white walled cells with the gold-tinted barriers – this was the Dungeon.

And there sat the old man, the one and only prisoner.

"Parker?" The captive called out in disbelief.

The girl nodded. "Yeah, it's me. Are you ok?"

"Yes... What are you doing here?"

"Loki." She replied simply.

The Allfather nodded; that was all the explanation she needed, apparently.

"Do you two know each other?" The guard asked her in a hushed voice, the confusion plain as day on his face.

"Can you open the cell?" She inquired, turning her attention to him and pointedly ignoring his question.

He shook his head slowly.

"Destroy it, child."

"Excuse me?"

"Overwhelm the barrier, and it will fail." Odin explained.

"I can't."

"Try." The Allfather urged.

With a huff, Parker pressed her eyes shut and pushed a wall of energy into the barrier. It flickered wildly for a moment before the pain became too much and she was forced to stop.

Panting, she held her head in her hands and cursed softly to herself. It felt like she had been electrocuted and set on fire all at once – it was terrible.

"Again, child." She heard Odin say. "Just a little longer and you would have had it."

Reluctantly, Parker made a second attempt, and again a kind of energy came surging out of her, pressing into the barrier. It flickered, and flickered some more, and then there came a small sound as it disappeared entirely.

She felt her knees buckle as she fell to the floor, a warm stream of blood flowing from her nose. Parker gripped at her head as she struggled to catch her breath, the immense pain slowly but surely began to dull.

"Are you ok, miss?" She heard the voice of the guard call to her as he placed his hand gently on her shoulder, taking a knee beside her.

She bobbed her head softly. "Yes- yeah. I think so."

"How did you do that?" He asked quietly as a small group of guards rushed into the Dungeon, immediately crowding into Odin's cell, releasing their king from his shackles.

Parker didn't answer. She turned her eyes towards the cell, watching as a couple of the king's men hoisted their ruler's arms over their shoulders and proceeded to walk him out of his prison.

"To the healing room." She heard one of them instruct the other as they made their way out.

The guard that had helped her remained at her side, helping her to her feet once they had gone.

"Thank you for your help. But I must know how you did what you did just now. Humans do not possess the ability to do such magic."

"Do you mind if we just don't talk about that right now?" She breathed. "It's a long story."

The guard stared at her for a moment before nodding.

"Of course."

Parker sighed, running a hand through her hair as she contemplated her next move.

"Can you take me to Thor?" She requested, breaking the silence.

"Pardon me?"

"Thor – can you take me to him?" She reiterated.

"I don't know if that is wise." He responded, shaking his head lightly.

"I don't care – I need to speak with him."

"…If you insist." He replied after a moment.

They made their way back to the surface – back to the entrance of the palace where everything had gone silent. It was almost worse than the violent sounds emanating from within earlier. There also was not a soul around them – everyone had left. It was unnerving.

"May I just repeat that this is not a wise decision?" The guard spoke quietly, leaning slightly to the side, in her direction.

"Yeah. I know."

With that Parker took off, rushing into the palace, into the great hall where the brothers had been fighting. Debris littered the floor, pressing and cutting into her bare feet as she crossed the room. She hardly noticed though, her eyes locked on the exhausted God of Thunder, his hammer placed upon Loki's chest, restraining him. Both of the gods were bloodied and breathing hard – Loki had given Thor more trouble than she had thought.

Parker reached out a hand, placing it gently on Thor's arm.

"Thor." She spoke softly, pulling his attention away from his younger brother.

"Parker…I am glad you are well." He replied, forcing a smile. "But, I must insist that you leave here. You do not want to see this."

He meant to kill Loki. His brother. The man that he had been raised alongside since they were babies.

No.

As much as he may have deserved it, the thought of that happening turned her stomach. How do you live with yourself after something like that? By telling yourself it was the right thing to do? That you had no choice? Regardless of the answer – would that really heal that wound? As much evil as Loki had done, Parker highly doubted that slaying a brother would be something that would be easy to come back from, even for the mighty Thor. And then it came to her.

"Thor – no. Don't kill him." She urged.

"You know not of what you speak, Parker. Loki has left me no choice."

"He knows about the Infinity Gauntlet!"

Thor shot a glance her way.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"He tried to get into my head, but it didn't work. I ended up getting into his for a second - and I **know **that he knows what is going on with the Infinity Gauntlet, and where at least a few of the gems are. We could use him." She insisted.

Thor shook his head lightly.

"The last time I let him go free for a similar reason – it did not turn out well." The god grumbled.

"Look, Thor – if you mean to kill him anyway, why not at least try to get some use out of him beforehand? It could really help…"

Thor remained silent for a moment as he considered what Parker was saying.

"He will not cooperate." Was his response.

"He doesn't have to."

There came a small laugh from the floor, and they turned their eyes to Loki.

"What are you going to do, girl? Get into my head? Please - don't be absurd." He spat.

"Oh no. Not me. I know someone else who can and he is going to want to have words with you."

* * *

A group of guards marched alongside of them, five on each side, as they made their way down the rainbow bridge. It was much more beautiful than Parker could have ever imagined – like a long, stretched out slab of crystal with multicolored lights coursing through it. It seemed to continue on and on, but eventually they neared the end – a large, spherical structure stood before them. It was massive and golden with intricate engravings all over the exterior. Everything in this world just reeked of opulence.

The guards halted just outside of the structure, turning to face them. It was a surprise that they had even agreed to escort them out of the city – especially considering the circumstances. Thor had told the men what he intended to do – that he was going to take Loki and Parker and leave this place. He continued on to say that he would not blame them if they tried to stop him, but warned that they would not be successful. Some of the guards tried to reason with their prince – tried to make him reconsider – but most of them simply turned the other cheek, choosing to neither condone nor condemn Thor for his decision. The small group that had accompanied them to the Bifrost did not necessarily believe that this was the best course of action, but they were willing to trust Thor's judgment. Not only had they agreed to take them to the bridge, but they also supplied them with these bronze colored cuffs that had these runes carved into them which, according to Thor, seals magic – Thor placed these on Loki, who merely scowled at his brother. Thor had insisted that they leave Asgard at once, before his father could stop them – Parker figured that he knew that once the Allfather was healed, he would call for Loki's head immediately. Not only that, he knew that Odin had not given him permission to leave for Earth to be with Jane, and perhaps his father would have some anger towards him as well. She kept waiting for more guards to show up and jump them – to try to stop them in the name of their king – or for the guards who walked beside them to change their minds, but it never happened.

They entered the building; a tall, dark-skinned man with vibrant amber eyes stood in the center of the room. He was outfitted in golden armor and held in his hands a large sword. There was something familiar about this man…his eyes, maybe?

"I've been expecting you. It is nice to see you again, sir." Heimdall greeted.

"You as well, Heimdall. Will you open the Bifrost to us?" Thor responded with a small smile.

Heimdall returned the gesture.

"Of course, sir." He turned his gaze to Loki. "Are you sure you want to take him with you?"

"No, but I'm going to anyway."

"Very well." Heimdall lowered his sword into a slot in front of him, like a key into a lock. A loud humming sound echoed through the room as a circular opening began to surge with light.

"Know that I am here should you require my assistance. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor." The gatekeeper offered and we approached the opening.

Thor nodded at the man, thanking him quietly.

"And miss…"

Parker turned her eyes towards the Asgardian.

"Give your father my regards."

With that they were drawn into space, violently being dragged through a kind of wormhole before being spat out. Thor and Loki managed to land on their feet with grace – not Parker – she landed flat on her ass. She quickly stood, dusting herself off – there were bits of soil all over her cloths, even a little bit in her hair – and she knew immediately where they were. They stood in an empty field, out in _almost_ the middle of nowhere, right across the road from her parent's home.

The small, blue house – it was a sight for sore eyes.

"This way." She said, motioning towards the house.

They quickly crossed the road, proceeding around to the back of the home, to the sliding glass back door.

Parker slowly pulled the door open, stepping into the kitchen to see her mother, Robin, sitting at the kitchen table, doing her crossword puzzle for the day.

She looked up, dropping her pen as a relieved smile spread across her face. She stood and stepped around the table, wrapping her arms around her daughter tightly.

"Parker…I was so worried." She whispered softly as she pressed a kiss into the side of Parker's face.

Parker returned the hug and assured her that she was fine.

Robin abruptly let go, taking a few quick steps backwards as she stared over her daughter's shoulder, wide-eyed.

"Mom, what's wrong?" She asked, turning to follow her gaze.

Of course, Thor and Loki stood behind her. Right.

"Oh yeah, them. That's nothing to worry about, we just – is dad around?" She sputtered.

Her mother bobbed her head quickly.

"Yeah – yeah, of course he is." She answered. "Brael, honey! Could you come here please?!"

Moments later, her father walked into the kitchen dressed in a baggy red shirt and some black pajama bottoms – she figured it must be Sunday if he was lounging around the house like that. It tickled her a little on the inside – the great and powerful Lord Brael, enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon in his PJ's.

He looked at Parker and smiled warmly before noticing the two Asgardian's. He quickly looked them up and down, then ran a hand through his already disheveled hair.

"You know, Parker…"He sighed, "this isn't exactly what I had had in mind…"

"You…you are-"She heard Thor's voice say; She turned to see a mixture of confusion and shock plastered on his face.

"Yes, it is me." Her father cut in, "It's good to see you again, boys. Wish it was under different circumstances."

An awkward silence fell over them for a few moments before her father spoke again.

"Well, come on then – you both look like piss, let's have a seat." He said, motioning towards the living room.

The two gods filed through the kitchen and into the small room, taking a seat next to each other on the large, brown couch as her father sat in his recliner. Parker stood next to her mother in the doorway between the two rooms, watching.

"So, what brings you to my home, boys?" Her father asked.

"We would ask that you extract some information for us, sir, if you are willing to do so." Thor requested courteously.

"What- from this one?" Parker's father nodded towards Loki.

"Yes, sir." Thor answered humbly.

The older man sat back in his chair and turned his gaze towards the raven haired god, who was in turn staring at the carpeting.

"Loki." Her father spoke his name softly.

He did not respond.

"Loki…" He tried again, a little more assertively.

Again, the young god did not respond.

"Look at me, boy!" Her father barked, causing Parker and her mother to jump a little.

Loki looked up, locking eyes with Brael.

The old god's face softened a bit as they simply stared at each other for a couple minutes. Abruptly, Loki turned his face away and Parker's father pursed his lips, nodding softly in understanding. She hadn't even realized what was happening right in front of her face – that had to be the smoothest mind probe ever.

"Could everybody please step into the garage for a bit? I'd like to speak with this one privately." Brael's voice came after a moment.

They all kind of looked at each other for a second before Thor stood.

"Sure thing, honey." Parker's mother started, "Just…don't break anything."

"Robin –"

"I know, I know. Just please – just don't. Ok? Love you."

With that she led Thor and her daughter into the garage, where they waited in silence.

* * *

Everyone had left, leaving the two Asgardian's in silence before Loki spoke for the first time.

"Do you mean to lecture me, old man? To reprimand me like an unruly child?" He inquired contemptuously.

"If you would stop acting like an unruly child then perhaps I wouldn't have to treat you like one."

Loki laughed scornfully.

"I was merely acting upon the lie that I had been fed."

"Which one?" Brael questioned. "The one Odin told you or the one that you've been telling yourself? That you're a monster."

Loki scoffed, looking away from his former mentor.

"It is nonsense, Loki." Brael continued, "And the most pitiful form of cowardice. You feel betrayed because you were told that you're something you're not and you feel angry because what you are is something you cannot accept. And so what do you do? You use it as an excuse for your misdeeds – like it should be expected of you to do such thing. You were such a bright young boy, Loki – what the hell happened? Have too many bouts with Thor made you dim?"

Loki let out a sigh of frustration, turning his eyes up again to meet Brael's gaze as the man proceeded.

"Are you really such a lost child that your only means to identity is through that of your father? Is it truly that important to you? You could be whatever you choose if you would only let go of these venomous convictions of yours."

"I have chosen." Loki commented darkly.

"Not your choice." Brael replied, giving the younger man a knowing look.

Loki turned his eyes back to the carpeting.

"Yes…he's got you by the balls, hasn't he?"

The young god didn't respond.

It remained quiet for a few moments before Brael spoke again.

"Look, we both know what is going on here, but lucky for you _they _don't – not quite, not yet. So I'm going to tell you what you're going to do, understand?"

Loki let out a dry laugh and he rolled his eyes.

"Are you?" He spat.

"Yes, and you're going to listen to me this time, you little shit." Brael growled, grabbing his former pupil by the jaw. "I know everything you know, boy – everything you have done – but I am not going to tell them, because _you _are. You are going to help them, you are going to right that which you have helped set into motion with your foolishness – you are going to redeem yourself. You are going to do this not only because I said so but because I know that buried in that twisted mind of yours is some common sense that stands to say that this situation you've gotten yourself into will prove to be a very, very bad thing. For everyone."

Loki's lips tightened in annoyance, but he nodded in agreement nonetheless.

"Very good." Brael said, releasing his hold on the man.

It was quiet for a moment as Brael turned, taking a couple steps towards the garage.

Then he stopped, looking back at the young man seated on his couch. He couldn't help but feel a little responsible.

"I could see the anger, the jealousy inside of you even when you were a child…I just had hoped it would never come this far. I have taught you everything I know, and for what? For you to use it against your friends? Your family? Against mortals, who could never hope to defend themselves? You are better than that, Loki."

Loki rolled his eyes.

"You are." Brael insisted, "And it's high time you started getting your _fucking_ act together."


	7. Chapter 7: Visitors in the Night

"Alright, we're done. You can come on back, now."

Brael stood in the doorway that connected the small house to the garage, motioning for the group that had been waiting there to head inside. Thor led the way, passing by the older man, as Parker and Robin followed, the young woman's arm wrapped around her mother's shoulders. Parker knew that the situation – the enormous mess that it was – could not be easy for her mother to swallow, especially now that she had dragged it into the middle of her living room. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest – if she had tried harder, if she were somehow stronger, then maybe she wouldn't have had to come crawling to daddy for help and her mother wouldn't be pushed into this as well. The last thing she wanted was to cause her parent's any grief and the thought that perhaps she had did not sit well with her, so she clung to her mother, if not for her parent's comfort – for her own.

They made their way through the narrow hallway that led out into the living room where the ink haired god sat still on the sofa, failing to look up to acknowledge the pack as they entered the space again. He did not even blink when Thor sat down beside him, choosing instead to keep his gaze fixed on the wall opposite of him until Parker took the seat across from his, obstructing his view. She offered him a small smile, to which he responded by turning his eyes to the floor.

"_Prick…"_ Parker thought as she frowned. She believed that she had been rather kind to Loki, having stopped Thor from slaying him and having convinced the god of thunder to bring him to Earth for questioning rather than leaving him to the mercy of the Allfather. And what had he done for her? Kidnapped her, threatened her, and clawed through her mind like it was just a bit of fun - and apparently, he couldn't even be bothered to return a fucking smile.

She shifted uneasily in her seat – she did not like having this man near the ones she loved, even with his magic sealed. She could practically feel the resentment radiating off of him and it made her uncomfortable. He was surrounded by people who had opted to give him more chances than what he deserved, and yet that seemed lost on him – like it meant nothing. The only one that was able to make Loki's defiant façade waver was her father, and only just for moment before they were ushered out into the garage.

Brael dropped down into the recliner, folding his hands in his lap as he scanned the faces of those around him. Everybody sat in silence, stealing awkward glances at each other before Brael turned to Thor.

"Well then," Brael spoke, breaking the silence, "You are probably a bit confused, am I right?"

Thor turned his eyes to the man.

"Well…yes," The golden haired god admitted, bobbing his head softly, "Father told us all that you had been slain in battle."

"Oh, well that was nice of him," Brael responded, genuinely appreciative.

Robin reached out and gently swatted her husband on the arm with a huff.

"I'm sitting _right here_," She hissed, clearly insulted although not necessarily upset.

The older man put up his hands in defense and chuckled.

"No, no – I didn't mean it like that, sweetheart. It's just – well it's better than what I had expected him to do."

Robin sat back, crossing her arms and offering her husband a small smile after a moment. The two had an interesting relationship, and it warmed Parker's heart to watch them interact.

Brael turned his attention back to Thor and offered him a grin.

"Twenty-five years ago, I came to Earth and met a woman. I fell in love, but even way back then, your father held a very low opinion of Midgardian's and ordered me to abandon her. I could not do that, not even if I had wanted to, and so I told him no. He banished me and I have been living here ever since. I made that woman my wife and we had our daughter, whom you've met…and that's what really happened."

A tiny smile found its way onto Thor's face and he nodded in understanding, turning his eyes to the old god's wife who sat across from him. She smiled softly and made a small waving gesture with her hand so as to say "Hi".

Thor returned the woman's gesture before returning his attention to her husband.

"Father is rather stuck in his ways - that much I will admit. I am glad that you were able to find happiness."

"Ah – finding it is the easy part, boy. It's being strong enough to accept it and hold onto it once you've found it that's the challenge."

It fell silent for a moment before Brael spoke again.

"I suppose I ought to tell you what I saw floating around in your brother's head then, eh?"

Thor nodded in response. "If you would."

"I didn't see too much, I'm afraid," Brael sighed, "I only caught a couple of things. You recently came into contact with the Aether, correct?"

"That is correct." Thor replied.

"Well, genius over there," Brael motioned towards Loki, "sent it off to an alien named Taneleer Tivan. Fucking basketcase, that one."

"You know him?" Thor questioned.

"I know _of _him. He's only been around for _billions_ of years. He lost his wife a long while back and started collecting things in order to maintain his own sanity."

"And Loki sent the Aether _to_ _him_?"

"Yes. Not particularly a great plan, but I don't suspect that it was really his decision." Brael answered, turning his gaze to Loki.

"If it was not his decision, then whose was it?"

The older man shrugged his shoulders.

"That, I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You're Brae-"

"I know quite well who I am, boy, but I haven't practiced magic in ages, so forgive me if I am a bit rusty."

Thor's lips tightened into a thin line, though he bobbed his head in understanding regardless of his annoyance.

"What about the gauntlet? Did you see anything about that?" Parker piped in.

"Yes. It is still in the weapons vault."

"Are you certain?" Thor asked.

Brael merely nodded.

"I must return to Asgard, then. To ensure that the gauntlet does not fall into enemy hands." Thor stated as he stood, shooting a sideways glance at his brother.

"Don't be silly, Thor – you have work to do. Wasting your talent's babysitting a glorified glove will do no one any good. I will return to Asgard and keep an eye on things myself until your father has regained his strength."

Parker noticed her mother wilt a little, Robin's head hanging as she heard Brael's words. Parker slid over to be closer to her mother, wrapping her arm around the woman's shoulders again to comfort her.

"Dad, everyone there thinks you're dead," Parker stated flatly.

"They're in for a hell of a shock, then, aren't they?"

"Dad."

"It's for the best, chipmunk," Brael insisted, lovingly calling his daughter by her childhood nickname.

Placing a hand gently on his wife's knee, Brael smiled at his wife.

"It will only be for a little while, dear. And it really is for the best."

Robin bobbed her head and turned her eyes up to meet her husbands. She offered him a smile.

"I know."

* * *

The day had nearly gone and it was decided that Thor, Loki, and Parker would stay overnight. Parker wanted very much to get the evil god out of her parent's home, but her father wouldn't take no for an answer.

Brael and Thor sat at the kitchen table exchanging stories and catching up while Parker helped her mother prepare dinner. Once Parker had carefully placed the casserole dish on the center of the rack in the oven, she set the timer and wandered into the living room where Loki sat in the same exact spot that he had been in all day, quiet and unmoving. She stood in the doorway that joined the two rooms for a moment, looking at him as he stared off into space. Why had he been so quiet? It's not like they had taken away his ability to speak. Maybe this was his new way of not cooperating, rather than being a belligerent jerk about it. Maybe he knew that that kind of behavior wouldn't fly with Brael around – either way, Parker was not sure if she should be wary or if she should allow herself to enjoy it.

Something wasn't quite right though – she just knew it - and as much as she didn't want to speak with the mischievous man, she felt compelled to.

Parker crossed the room and took a spot on the loveseat opposite from the couch where Loki sat. She stared at him – he ignored her.

"My father is lying," She stated more than asked, scanning Loki's face for any kind of reaction.

He turned his eyes up to meet hers but remained silent.

"That's fine, you don't need to say anything. Just know that you're not the only one who knows bullshit when they see it."

Loki chuckled lightly at her comment.

"When will we be departing?" He inquired softly, they were the first words she had heard him speak in hours.

"Tomorrow."

"Mm. Having a sleep over, are we?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Thor will take that couch," Parker nodded towards the sofa that Loki was occupying, "and you'll get this one. It pulls out into a small bed. It's not really comfortable but it's better than nothing."

Parker stood when Loki did not say anything more and headed back towards the kitchen – catching what looked almost like a smile cross the god's face out of the corner of her eye.

* * *

Night had set in hours ago and everyone had long since gone to sleep while Parker laid wide-awake in her bed. She could not fall asleep no matter how long she kept her eyes closed or what position she put herself in, so she simply curled up and ran her fingers through Darwin's soft, orange fur. Her parents had agreed to watch him after she had left for London and she was so happy to see him again. The little cat made her feel more at home than almost anything else. He was sleeping soundly next to her head, balled up into an orb of fluff.

"I missed you so much, little guy." Parker whispered, rubbing her finger gently against the feline's cheek as he began to purr.

"Things have gotten kind of crazy lately, I hope mom and dad are taking good care of you," She continued, "…I hope we can go home soon…"

Parker noticed her bedroom door glide open noiselessly out of her peripherals and looked up to see a dark figure approaching. Her breath caught in her chest for a moment before her eyes were able to focus enough on the shadow to determine who or what it was.

Loki.

He crossed the room, casually taking a seat on the floor right next to her bed as he rested his back against the wall.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Parker whispered as she glared at the man.

"I could hear your little…_conversation_, in the next room and I presumed you might appreciate some company that might actually answer you."

"Darwin is wonderful company, thanks."

"Oh, I can imagine," Loki teased.

"Don't talk down about my cat," Parker warned.

"I would never. I'm quite fond of cats, actually. They're far more preferable to _your_ kind." He replied, reaching up and running his fingers across the cats back.

"Which kind are you referring to?"

Loki was silent for a moment as he considered his answer.

"Either, really."

Parker agreed. She had never been too keen on people, even before she began to develop her powers. Everyone had become so ignorant and self-important – she had a few friends but even they weren't all they were cracked up to be.

It was quiet for a few minutes as the two continued to pet the cat.

"What is it that is keeping you awake?" Loki asked suddenly.

"I don't know. You?"

"I suffer from a restless mind, I suppose."

"I'm sure."

Loki turned his gaze to Parker and smirked at her comment. She returned the gesture and for a moment considered the man before her. He was handsome. And charming, almost.

No.

Parker put an abrupt end to that chain of thought, reminding herself of who she was really speaking to. This was Loki – the guy that had killed all of those people in New York and lord knows how many others. The guy who had thrown his adoptive father into a cell and tortured her as he ripped through her mind trying to find out what she knew.

No, not handsome. Not charming.

"You should really try to get some sleep, we've got stuff to do tomorrow," Parker suggested.

"That'll be quite impossible with that oaf out there."

Parker gave him a confused look.

"Thor is very loud when he sleeps."

She laughed. She couldn't help it.

"He snores?"

"Indeed."

Reaching behind her, Parker grabbed an extra pillow and blanket and dropped them to the floor.

"You are too kind." Loki practically purred. She couldn't really tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.

"Yeah, just remember this whenever you start feeling like you want to do something evil again."

"I will certainly keep it in mind," He assured her as he situated himself.

"Goodnight." She offered as she rolled over, pulling the blankets up around her face.

"Goodnight, Parker."

* * *

The pastel blue curtains of Parkers bedroom window billowed as the wind surged in through the small opening she had left the night before, causing a soft whistling sound to emanate through the room. It wasn't particularly loud, but it was enough to wake Loki from his slumber. He peeled his eyes open slowly, taking a moment to absorb his surroundings – he had nearly forgotten where he was. It all came back to him quickly enough, though; that vexatious girl, Thor, Brael…everything. The young god rolled over with a quiet groan; sleeping on the floor had done a number on his back, but he was thankful he was able to get a wink of sleep at all. Perhaps it would have been more comfortable on the couch in the living room, but sharing a room with Thor was something that he had learned as a child was not possible. Not for him, anyway. He wondered for a moment how that woman he was seeing could manage it.

Loki slowly climbed to his feet and scanned the room once more. It was tiny in comparison to his own back in Asgard. He could cross the room in just a few strides. There was a small dresser, a closet that could hardly house the few articles of clothing that occupied it, and her bed which looked as though it could barely accommodate one person comfortably. Loki reasoned that for Parker, being the rather petite girl that she was, it probably suited her just fine.

He noticed that the small woman's blanket had been tossed about in her sleep, leaving the majority of her torso exposed. She wore a sleeveless black shirt, and Loki took notice of the bumps that had appeared on her arms. He approached the sleeping girl, curious for a second as to what would cause her skin to react in such a way.

The wind blew again, violently ripping through the room in a cold burst.

Ah.

He was slightly embarrassed he hadn't picked up on it right away. Of course, the girl was cold. Stretching over cautiously, Loki pulled the window shut. He then reached down and gripped the soft blanket in his hand, taking care to not brush against her waist, and pulled the fabric up and over her abdomen. Quickly pulling his hands away, the god rubbed his fingers together, not entirely sure that he approved of his own actions. The girl was kind, entertaining at times, and he enjoyed looking at her when he could do so unnoticed, but she was largely a nuisance to him. She was awkward and weak and of little use to him now that he had yet again been robbed of his throne, but she had done him a kindness in allowing him to rest in her chamber and so Loki told himself that it was only fitting that he return the favor in some way. Sure, he had told the girl that he would keep her good deed in mind should he feel the urge to commit acts of evil in the future, but he would make no promise to guarantee her safety from him should it come down to it.

Loki's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he crossed the room, stepping out into the hallway. Across the way, Brael's woman was placing folded pieces of clothing into a large bag. She did not notice him and he did not care to speak with her, so he continued down the hall and made his way into the kitchen, where he found Brael standing in front of an appliance that sat atop of the counter. A stream of hot, dark liquid poured down into a glass container, filling the room with a rich aroma.

"G'Morning, Loki," Brael greeted, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

"Brael," Loki responded to the man coolly as he took a spot at the kitchen table.

He watched as Brael emptied the dark liquid into two mugs, setting one down in front of him as Brael held the other in his hand. The older man took the seat opposite of him at the table.

"It's not poison, boy. You can drink it."

"What is it?" Loki asked skeptically.

"We call it coffee."

"_We_?"

Brael shot him an unamused look that told Loki that he didn't want to go there. So grudgingly, he let it go.

"Is your woman going somewhere, then?" Loki questioned, changing the subject, "I saw her preparing a bag."

Brael bobbed his head softly as he took a swig from his mug.

"Yeah, she's decided she's going to stay with her sister until I get back."

"Mm."

It fell quiet for a second as they both sipped at their drinks.

"So, Loki…," Brael started, his voice low, "_Where_ did you sleep last night?"

The corners of Loki's lips turned up into a mischievous smile.

"With your daughter," He taunted.

"Don't get cute with me, boy," Brael warned, "What were you doing in there?"

"I can assume that you saw me in her bedchamber, then?"

"Our room is right across the hall," The older man answered.

"Then you saw that I was on the floor, not in bed with her. I merely sought her out for an alternative sleeping arraingment, nothing more."

Brael stared at him for moment before Loki began to feel a prickly feeling engulf his mind. He let out a soft laugh in response.

"I'm not lying."

"You can't blame me for making sure." Brael replied with a smile once he saw that the man was telling the truth.

Silence came again, save for the deep sounds of sleep reverberating from Thor's chest. After a few moments, Brael spoke again.

"I'll be leaving today. This afternoon, actually. Robin's sister, Helen, will be here a little after noon to pick Robin up and after that I'll get going myself…" Brael explained, sounding slightly uncertain.

Loki simply nodded in response as he watched the coffee ripple in his mug.

"Loki, look at me…"Brael requested lowly.

Loki turned his gaze to look at him, a solemn expression painted across his usually tranquil features.

"They are going to need your help. Thor is a good warrior but your enemy will be ready and knocking at the door before he figures out what is happening here, and Parker…," Brael paused for a moment as he thought of his daughter, his only child, "Parker is smart, but she is so far out of her element here, she doesn't stand a chance by herself. You need to tell them what you know, all of it. And see to it that they get where they need to go, understand?"

"I feel like we've been over this…," Loki sighed.

"We have. This is just a reminder. I also have a favor to ask of you."

Loki quirked an eyebrow at his former mentor. What could the old man want from him?

"What?" Loki asked briskly.

"I've not done much in the way of training Parker…hell, I didn't even know she had abilities at all for the longest time. I would ask that you teach her and help her hone her abilities in my absence."

Loki merely stared at the man as he continued.

"Knowing what is coming…she is just so far from ready for it."

"She'll never be ready for it," Loki answered bitterly.

"Don't bullshit me, boy. She is strong and you know it."

"She has the potential to be, yes," Loki conceded, "But, just how do you expect me to teach your child in the art of magic when I cannot wield it, myself?"

"Well I suppose I'll just have to take those damned cuffs off then, won't I?"

Loki grinned.

"What makes you so certain I won't betray them?"

"Because," Brael began, "You would benefit from helping them – you've wanted to be rid of this creature for a while but you could never do it by yourself. You need their help just about as much as they need yours. And because you don't want me to have to come back down here."

Loki let out a puff of air. He knew the old man was right. He had gotten himself mixed up with all sorts of undesirable creatures in his efforts to achieve power, but ironically enough they had ended up turning him into more of a pawn than anything. That didn't sit well with the young god, but he wasn't stupid and he knew he couldn't win that particular fight – not by himself.

"Alright." Loki agreed.

"Come again?"

"I said 'alright', I will teach the girl if I must, so long as you remove these ridiculous contraptions," Loki replied, referring to his cuffs.

A familiar prickling feeling crept into Loki's head again. He merely rolled his eyes.

Brael grinned at him after a moment.

"Very well, then. We have a deal."

* * *

Parker pulled a light sweater she had found in her old dresser over herself, poking her arms and head through their respective openings and smoothing her hands down the front of the garment. It was a rusty pink color with a white anchor emblem – she couldn't remember where she had gotten the sweater from but she loved it for its soft material. She pulled on a pair of black yoga pants and threw her red hair up into a messy bun before turning and gathering the bedding that Loki had left on the floor up into her arms. The items had a woodsy smell to them now – she assumed that that must be what he smelled like. She never really stopped to notice it before, but then again the only opportunities where she had been that close to him had all been him attacking or threatening her. She tossed the bedding into the corner, frowning at herself. Why should she take note of what he smelled like? It was weird. Definitely weird.

She made her way into the living room to see Thor and Loki dressed in human clothing. She stopped for a minute, just staring at the two men before approaching.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Your father conjured us up some Midgardian clothing, so that we might blend in," Thor answered.

"I see."

She had seen Thor in casual clothing back in London, so his change in appearance was not quite as jarring to her as Loki's was. Loki stood in a light, long-sleeved, forest green hoodie and dark jeans – she was so used to seeing him in his Asgardian garb that she found herself staring for a moment before she realized she was acting peculiar and tore her eyes away.

"Well, let's get these off, then." She heard her father's voice say.

She looked over to see Brael remove the first cuff from Loki's wrist. Everything inside of her wanted to scream "What are you doing?!" but she just couldn't. She backed away quickly in attempt to remove herself from the situation as Thor called Mjolnir to him.

"What is this?!" Thor demanded.

"Calm down, Loki and I have an agreement. He is going to help Parker practice her magic and besides, he won't be much good in battle without his abilities." Brael reasoned.

"Trust me, sir, this is NOT wise." Thor insisted.

"I agree!" Parker chirped.

"If there is a problem," Brael started as he removed the second cuff, "I will know it, and I will come deal with it myself. Do I make myself clear?" He gave Loki a warning look as he spoke the last part.

Loki ignored him, conjuring a small flame in the palm of his hand as a grin spread across his face.

"Do I make myself clear, Loki?" Brael barked, bringing Loki's attention back to him.

"Yes. Perfectly."

* * *

Brael stood in the middle of the circular markings that had been imprinted into the soil when Heimdall had sent the three back to Earth. Thor, Loki, and Parker stood just outside of this circle, waiting.

"You boys watch over her for me – If something happens to her, I'll be coming for you," Brael started with a smile, "But really…good luck, all of you."

"You as well," Thor offered.

Brael's smile widened at Thor's words.

"And you –," Brael said, pointing to Loki, "Be good, will you?"

"I'll see what I can do," Loki replied wickedly.

Brael turned his eyes to Parker and beamed at her.

"Chipmunk…"

Parker hurried over to her father, throwing her arms around his midsection. He let out a soft chuckle as he held her to him tightly in return.

"I love you so much." He whispered to his daughter as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too. Be safe…"

With that she backed away, returning to her spot between the two brothers.

"Alright, Heimdall. Let's get this over with, shall we?" Brael called.

A beam of light shot down from the sky, disappearing just as fast as it had come, taking Brael with it.

The group stood in silence for a moment – no one knew quite what to say.

"Well…," Parker started, "Now what?"


	8. Chapter 8: Red Hands

Parker's small body skidded across the cement floor of the basement, bile gushing up into her throat after a particularly vicious blow to the stomach. This was not what she had anticipated when she learned that she would be receiving training from the God of Mischief. She had expected a few bruises, but she had also expected magic. He hadn't even touched on the subject, asserting that she first had to learn the basics of hand-to-hand combat.

She forced the revolting fluids back down as she placed her bloody, shaking hands on the floor – slowly pushing herself upright. It was to no avail, she had taken too long.

Her vision went dark as she heard a sick popping sound, barely registering the pain as Loki smashed his heel into the side of her skull. She collapsed once again, her face crashing against the floor. She was only out for couple of seconds, stirring at the sound of Thor's powerful voice.

"That is enough, brother," She heard Thor roar.

"_Pathetic_," Loki hissed down at her.

Placing her palms against the ground once more, Parker began to push herself up – blood oozing from between her lips, dripping down onto her fingers below. She nearly had herself in a seated position when she caught a glimpse of him. She pressed her eyes shut.

"_No," _was the only word that entered her mind as she pictured the corner of the room.

When she opened her eyes again she was sitting in the very corner that she had visualized, her back resting against the wall. She had opened her eyes just in time to see the end of Loki's swing – he had meant for another blow to her head. _Asshole_.

Parker sat, her chest heaving as she took note of the profuse amount of blood that was smeared over her body - a wave of nausea washed over her as she realized that it had all come from her. She flicked her eyes upwards to see Loki's green orbs staring back at her from across the room. He looked amused.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would _ever_ figure that out," He sneered.

Parker rolled her eyes.

"Look can we…can we just be done for the day?" She requested weakly.

He crossed the room in a few long strides, crouching down in front of her. His eyes scanned her body carefully, causing Parker to shift around nervously until he finally spoke.

"I suppose it would be for the best. I very much doubt that your father would be too pleased if I killed his little girl."

Parker remained silent, looking the young god up and down. Dark blood had been speckled across his clothing and snow white skin, his knuckles were slightly bruised and caked in the red stuff – she wondered just how much blood she had lost to him this time.

Without another word, Loki stood, and Parker simply watched as he disappeared up the stairs and into her parent's home. She let out a small sigh of relief once he was out of sight, earning a soft chuckle from the God of Thunder.

"My apologies…he can be quite ruthless at times," Thor offered, referring to his brother, as he helped Parker to her feet.

She cringed, her entire body in anguish, as Thor began to walk her towards the steps.

"You didn't really try to stop it," She breathed.

"No," He admitted quietly, "No, I did not."

He gently lifted the small girl into his arms, coming to realize that she would never be able to carry herself up the stairs in her condition. She wrapped her thin arms loosely around his bulky shoulders as he held her to his chest.

"When we were boys," Thor began as he started to climb the staircase, "Our mother would often times watch us during our training. Drove her mad to do so, but she did it regardless, and if she had stopped us every time she had wanted to – well, we would not be as strong as we are now."

"So, you're telling me I just need to toughen up, right?" She asked cynically.

Thor laughed.

"Well, yes. Now – where to?" He asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Bed."

"Of course," He chuckled.

He carried her into her bedroom, taking care to not accidentally bump her into the doorframe or any walls on the way. He lowered and gently dropped her onto the soft surface of her bed.

"Thank you," She said, her voice muffled as she pushed her face into her pillow.

"You're very welcome. Rest well."

She didn't even hear him – she was out like a light.

* * *

Hours passed before Parker woke again – it was dark and the house stood silent save for the distant sound of the television. With great effort, she managed to pull herself out of bed and onto her feet – dragging herself down the hall to see Thor on the couch, swaddled in blankets as he intently watched the show _Supernatural_. He did not notice her and she did not want to disturb him, so she left him be without saying a word.

Eventually, she made her way into the bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind her. She lazily stripped her clothes from her body and stepped into the shower, wincing as she lifted her legs over the side of the tub. The warmth of the water came rolling over her, nearly lulling her back to sleep, but she forced her eyes open – watching the water at her feet turn pink as the blood was rinsed from her skin.

She turned the knob, stopping the shower – the hot water had run out. Grumbling as she pushed back the curtain, she tried stepping out of the shower only to find her other foot slipping on the slick bottom of the tub. She nearly fell, though she managed to catch herself against one of the walls.

"_Son of a bitch,_" She seethed inside of her head.

She heard the doorknob begin to turn and quickly threw the curtain closed.

Someone entered.

"Are you alright?"

That surprised her. She hadn't expected her hear _those_ words fall from _that_ mouth.

"I'm just…I'm just having a little trouble with moving and everything…and it's kind of slippery in here now, so…it's, yeah – I have a problem," She explained, clearly flustered as she ran a hand through her wet hair.

She heard him laugh quietly.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing," She mumbled.

"Now, now. No one likes a poor sport, Parker," Loki's voice ridiculed her from behind the curtain.

"Look, can you just send Thor in? I could really use his help."

He stopped laughing.

"_Thor…"_

He scowled at the thought – he had seen him carry the girl into her bedroom earlier in the day and it irked him, for some reason.

"_Thor, the hero. Thor, the favored…"_

It bothered him more than he cared to admit, that she would request his brother's help, especially considering he was right there and completely capable of doing so himself.

Parker heard rustling coming from the other side of the curtain before Loki's hand poked through with a large, soft towel.

"Cover yourself," He instructed tersely.

She did as she was told, wrapping the towel tightly around her body before pushing back the shower curtain to see Loki standing shirtless in the middle of the bathroom. She tried not to let her eyes wander too much, just taking in quick glimpses of his toned arms and chest.

"Sooo…where's your shirt?" She heard herself ask.

"I was sleeping when I heard you," He explained.

"I didn't think I hit the wall that hard…"

"It wasn't your fall that I heard, child."

"_Oh. Right. Telepathy," _She thought to herself.

"Oh. Right. Telepathy." He mocked, a small grin forming on his face.

"Now, is that secure?" He asked after a moment, pointing towards the towel.

She looked down and grasped at the top of the fabric, where she had tucked it into itself.

She nodded.

"Good."

She nearly gasped as he wrapped an arm around her back, placing the other beneath her legs as he lifted her with ease. She draped her arms around his shoulder, pulling herself closer at the feel of his cool skin. He turned and began to set her down – she whimpered in protest.

"Is there a problem?" The God asked lowly.

"You're cold…it's kind of nice against the bruises."

"Then we'll grab you some ice – now _let go_ of me, woman."

She did as she was told and Loki left. She managed to dress herself again and made her way back into her bedroom without any help.

A little while later, much to her surprise, Loki came to her – with ice.

* * *

Loki had granted Parker a couple days off to recuperate and unsurprisingly, she had spent the majority of those days in bed. He had seen the damage he had done to her tiny body as he helped her out of the shower, and it occurred to him that while he was dealing with the daughter of Brael, he was also dealing with a human – at least, partially.

He had taken to bringing her bags of ice and these small capsules she called _Advil _somewhat regularly, in hopes that it would speed up the healing process or in the least make her more comfortable. Loki was unsure of how he felt about tending to the girl and wondered whether he should bother to do so at all, but every time he considered abandoning her, there came four words.

Those four words – they were the first thought that Loki had pulled from Brael's mind once the man had removed his cuffs and restored his powers to him. They wounded Loki in a way he had thought he had made impossible. They hurt not only because of the memories that they dug up, but because he knew that they were true. Certainly, Brael's words had had some influence on Loki, but it was this thought- this one thought that had done it. That made him, for the first time in a long time, feel something other than voracious rage.

"_You were raised better…"_

* * *

"This is stupid…"

"I will not ask you again, Parker. Now, sit up."

Loki gave the woman a warning look from his spot at the end of her small bed, watching her as she begrudgingly pushed herself up into a seated position. He had been a kind teacher thus far – too kind, in his opinion – and he figured that it was high time that she do _something_. He had graciously allowed her two days of rest, and yet the woman still had the audacity to give him such attitude.

"Come closer, child," He beckoned.

Parker shifted, moving herself across the mattress so that she sat directly in front of her instructor. The contusions that besieged her body were still rather nasty, leaving her skin tinged with splotches of deep purple, sickly yellow, and green. Loki cringed internally at the sight of them – perhaps he had gone a touch too far that time.

"_They are but meager scratches compared to what they would do to her…" _He found himself frowning at the thought.

"Why the long face?" He heard her small voice ask. She sounded so innocent, it made his stomach turn.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're pouting," She stated simply.

"I am not…_pouting,_" He didn't like that term – "pouting" – it sounded so childish.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She replied sarcastically, "What would you call it?"

He ignored her, instead holding out his hands with his palms facing upwards.

"Because you are, as of yet, still incapacitated, we will be using an alternative exercise for today. I want you to hover your hands above mine - I will attempt to strike you, and you will try to evade me."

"Red hands?"

"What?" It was all he could think to say.

"Red hands? The slapping game? You're going to try to smack my hands and I have to pull away, right?"

"That is the general concept, yes," He answered.

"Yeah, so…that's red hands…"She responded awkwardly.

He deadpanned at her for a moment, causing the girl to break eye contact. He smiled to himself - he very much liked how easy it was to get under her skin.

"Well, then…shall we begin?" He inquired, nodding towards his hands. She sighed deeply as she placed her hands over top of his, though they did not touch.

_Thwack!_

"OW!"

_Whack!_

"Shit!"

_Thwack!_

"Fuck!" She hissed, pulling her hands away from him.

"Your eloquence is breathtaking."

"Fuck off, you're cheating," She accused as she gingerly rubbed at the back of her hand.

He folded his hands in his lap.

"Proceed."

"What?" She asked.

"Please, explain to me how I am cheating."

"You're in my head. You know when I think that you're going to hit me and when I don't…"

A grin spread across his face.

"What?" She questioned.

"I suspect you may actually be _learning_, Parker. Tell me, how did you know that I was reading your thoughts?"

"Because I could…," She paused for a moment, unsure of how to put it into words, "I could feel you…or whatever."

"Very good… shall we continue?" Loki held out his hands again, waiting.

"Not if you're going to be cheating."

"I prefer the term 'cunning'," He replied.

"You can dress it up however you want – cheating is cheating." Parker retorted.

"I doubt very much that you'll be too terribly concerned with the morality of your actions should they mean the difference between life and death."

"Is that how you justify the things you've done?"

The question caught him slightly off guard. He pulled his hands back, placing them again in his lap. He gazed at her for a moment before he found his words.

"I tend not to dwell on such things, though I suppose that there are some that are simply…unforgivable," He explained quietly.

"Like what?"

"No. We are not having this discussion."

"What? Why?" Parker asked.

"Because I said so."

"_Mommy and Daddy issues, maybe?" _She thought to herself.

"And here I thought we had come to an understanding in regards to that particular subject."

"I didn't say anything," Parker pointed out.

"Not out loud…" The god muttered; the girl swatted at him in frustration.

He caught her hand in his, silently reveling when he heard her breath hitch.

He didn't need his telepathy to know that the girl was attracted to him. Her lingering stares hadn't gone unnoticed, nor had the way she would squirm under his gaze. The trace of pink that would often touch her cheeks in these situations had also become apparent to him rather quickly. She made herself so easy to read, he often wondered if it was, perhaps, on purpose, or if she really was just that inept at lying.

Gently rubbing his thumb across her soft skin, he had to stop himself from chuckling as he watched her force her eyes to the floor. He could hear the chaos going on inside her head – the part of her that wanted him fighting with the part of her that had any sense.

"_This ought to be fun…_" He thought, making a mental note to toy with the issue later.

He released her hand after a long moment, offering her a small grin.

"I suppose that's enough for now."

* * *

"_What the _**fuck **_was _**that**_?"_

Parker cursed herself under her breath as she plunged her hands into the soapy water, scrubbing relentlessly at a white ceramic plate that was caked in..._something_. Chocolate syrup, maybe?

She had taken it upon herself to do some washing up, seeing as the two men of the house were evidently never taught how. In the little while that she had been incapacitated, they had managed to create a mess of the kitchen – mounds of dishes scattered about, wrappers and bags littered the counter tops and kitchen table...it was just..._ugh_.

She had the feeling that it was more Thor's doing than anything else – that man certainly could eat his weight in food – but she really didn't mind doing the housework too much. Whatever she could do to get away from Loki, she would gladly do.

Parker **hated **how easily he could get into her head, it was like nothing was private around him. There was nothing that could cross her mind that could be kept from him – if he wanted in, he was in – it was that simple. She had managed to boot him out _one _time, and she sincerely wished that she could figure out how she had done it. There was no thought process to it that she could recall, it just kind of happened.

It's not like you can always control what pops into your mind, either. And Parker had tried, she had tried very hard but that smug look that would cross his face told her that she was an open book to him still. If she had a thought, he knew about it before she could even react to it herself.

No matter how hard she tried to hide it - or hide anything, for that matter - her attempts were in vain. The girl found herself strangely attracted to the God of Mischief, and he knew it.

Of course he _had_ to be handsome, he _had_ to be this eloquent little shit with a velvet-like voice. He was the God of Mischief, the Lord of Lies – and what better way is there to mislead someone than to make them **want** to believe you?

Still, even though Parker tried to tell herself that is was purely a physical attraction, she couldn't help but find him interesting. It was like watching a car crash, she reasoned – you know that what you're looking at is terrible and that you shouldn't be doing what you're doing, but you want to know what's going on over there anyway. Loki was a psychopath, a murderer, and just a whole lot of awful. And he didn't even feel bad about it – at least that was how he acted – but she still found herself feeling slightly intrigued by him regardless of all that.

A horrible scraping sound pulled Parker from her thoughts, causing her the jump a little and drop the dish in her hand into the hot water below. She looked over to see that Thor had taken a seat at the kitchen table, a look of frustration on his face.

Wiping her hands against the front of her sweater, she crossed the room and took the seat opposite of him.

"Hey, guy. Something bothering you?" She asked gently.

Thor let out a sigh and shook his head lightly before responding.

"I've just received word from Jane and Erik...I had asked them,after your father had left,to see if they could find any information on this 'Taneleer Tivan'..."

"And...they didn't find anything?" Parker guessed.

"No, they did not," He confirmed solemnly.

"Well," The redhead started, "have you even considered the option of maybe talking to Loki about it? He might give us _something_ to work with..."

"Yes...I have spoken with him," Thor admitted, continuing as he noticed the confusion sweep over her face, "We did not intentionally exclude you from the conversation...I just thought you should have your rest. You were in rather bad shape..."

She simply nodded.

"Loki did offer some information, though I feel it would be best to have something more than just his word to go on," Thor reasoned.

Again, she nodded. It made sense – who in their right mind would go on the Liesmith's word alone?

Then again, a lot of things were not making much sense lately – like why would her father lie on behalf of Loki? Especially knowing what he had done. Was he trying to hide something or was there some greater purpose he had for keeping the whole truth from them? It was all just so frustrating and created this ball of dread in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, no one can really blame you for that," She offered with a shrug, "But what else are we supposed to do?"

"Tomorrow morning, I will be heading to New York where I plan to speak with Tony Stark. He has managed to gain access to SHIELD's information at least once in the past, perhaps he can do so again."

"Good idea – if anyone knows anything about this guy, it'd be SHIELD," Parker replied.

"I certainly hope you are right," Thor sighed, "Now, I shouldn't be gone more than a few hours, but if there is any problem – any problem at all – Heimdall **will** hear you,should you call for him."

"Noted," She responded with a small smile, "Just...your brother is a real piece of work, so please don't be gone for too long."

At that, Thor gave a slight chuckle.

"I promise."

* * *

Night had come and everyone had retired to bed – Thor had opted to take the couch in the living room again, stating that he had a better view of his surroundings from that spot in the house, while Loki took Brael and Robin's bedroom, across from Parker's.

Parker was asleep in her bed when her tiny body began to twitch under the covers, images flashing behind her eyes. Most of them were gone too quickly for her to get a grasp on, but there was one that she saw clearly...

A tall woman with long, golden hair and high cheekbones. She was beautiful, but there was something vile about her. She gave Parker a sinking feeling. This woman, she was evil...

A sharp pain coursed through Parker's skull, causing her to jerk her head to the side as she woke. The last thing she had heard before she regained her consciousness was the sound of a man in pain.

And this man, he sounded familiar...


	9. Chapter 9: Luck of the Draw

Parker's thin arms trembled as she pushed herself into a seated position, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She was still for a moment, blinking rapidly as if it would help the room come into focus quicker. It was so dark, she could hardly make out the objects that sat across from her in the small room, and whatever it was that was going on with her head was not helping. She felt dizzy – incredibly dizzy – and no matter how hard she tried to focus her eyes, everything appeared distorted, as if she were looking into a fun-house mirror.

She grimaced as another wave of pain coursed through her mind, bringing with it a disembodied whisper that made her skin crawl. It was the voice of a woman, that much Parker knew, but anything beyond that was lost on her.

"Sitting alone...in the dark...with voices in my head...fantastic," She whispered bitterly, pressing her palms to her temples. She gritted her teeth and let out a small groan as another wave ripped through her brain.

There was something different about this "vision", for lack of a better term – they had never gone on this long before, and they certainly had never been this strong, this unrelenting.

Parker forced herself to her feet and stumbled across the darkened room, nearly falling out into the hallway. She reached out a hand and grasped the door frame, steadying herself as she took in a deep breath. She internally grappled with herself for a moment, deciding whether or not she was making the right call in doing what she was about to do. Yet another sharp stab to her mind left no question that she was.

His name had been the only thought that she could recognize as truly being her own since this had started. **His **name, of all things, had somehow managed to push its way to the front of her mind.

"_Loki..."_

If anyone could make the voices go away; if anyone could make the pain stop...it would be him.

Parker staggered forward, allowing herself to fall against the door across the hall. She reached down, gripping the metal knob for dear life she she pressed her shoulder into the wooden barrier and entered the room.

She let out a soft, painful moan as she felt a particularly harsh jab crash into her mind, again bringing with it a voice, though this time it was much clearer.

"_Remember whom it is you serve..." _She heard a woman hiss condescendingly.

"Who the fuck...," Parker whispered in confusion before a quiet groan from across the room redirected her attention.

She had heard that painful groan before. Just before she woke, in fact.

Her eyes widened as she realized what was taking place.

"It's not me, it's you..."

She quickly crossed the room, swaying as she went, before another sharp pain caused her to collapse onto the bed. Her head collided with his hip, though he did not wake and she could hardly feel the pain over what was going on in her mind. The pain had grown exponentially as she had gotten closer and closer to Loki – she felt as though her entire body was broken, leaving her stranded with her face resting against the god's lower abdomen.

A long moment passed before Parker was able to gather enough strength to reach her hand up and land a few good slaps on Loki's chest.

"Loki," She groaned, "You need to get the fuck up."

He woke, taking in a sharp breath as his entire body went rigid. Shooting upright, his hand quickly found it's way around Parker's throat, dragging her small body upwards towards him, a murderous look upon his face. His hand tightened, slowly squeezing the life out of her as he watched her struggle to break free. Tears rolled down her pretty face as she gasped for breath.

"Loki," She croaked, "Please..."

That voice - her small plea - it caused something to click in his mind. Suddenly, everything came back to him – he was back in the house of Brael, sitting in bed, with his hand...

He abruptly released his hold on her throat and slid his hand up to rest on her cheek as he continued to scan her face.

"Parker..." He whispered as her name came to him. It fell so softly from his lips that the girl didn't even hear it.

He hooked his index finger, gently placing it under her chin as he guided her head back so that he could assess the damage he had done. Bruises were already starting to form where he had pressed his fingers into her soft skin.

Loki let out a sigh as he dropped his hands into his lap, falling back to rest against the wall behind him. He usually would not feel repentant for doing harm upon the girl, but even he had to admit that that had been wholly unwarranted.

He pressed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger as he reflected on what had happened. That insufferable woman - who was she to invade his mind? And how had she done it?

"_Bitch_..." He muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Parker's small voice came, tearing him away from his thoughts.

"Mm. Not you, child," He answered uninterestedly.

She gave him a very confused look.

"I apologize for...grabbing you, Parker. I truly do...I did not intend to harm you," He offered sincerely.

"Well, thanks...it's fine," She started slowly, "But what the hell was _that_?"

"Just a night terror. You needn't worry about it," He explained apathetically before quickly turning the attention away from himself, "But if I may ask - what the hell are you doing, crawling into my bed in the middle of the night dressed like _that_?"

He genuinely just wanted to take the heat off of himself, but despite the terrible night he was having, Loki still couldn't help but to drink in the sight before him once he'd acknowledged it out loud. His eyes descended from the messy bun that sat atop her head, past her collarbone to the oversized white T-shirt that cloaked her upper body. It came to a stop just below her bottom, leaving the majority of her lower half exposed to him. His eyes slowly followed the curve of her legs before he noticed her shift and brought his eyes back to meet hers. Those legs... – uncouth thoughts began to fill his mind as she spoke.

"I was seeing stuff again. I came to see if you could make it stop," She began, "But I think I was just seeing into your head..."

"And what did you see?"

"A woman," She stated simply.

"Ah."

"Are you sure there isn't anything we should be worried about?" Parker questioned, sounding uncertain.

"Quite sure, yes," He answered, "Now, off to bed. We'll resume your training in the morning."

She let out a small, disappointed sigh at his words.

"It's like 3 AM, do we really have to do it in the morning?"

"Bright and early. No whining," He replied lowly before gesturing towards the door, "Off you go."

"Fine," she said with a small laugh as she pushed herself to her feet.

He watched her as she crossed the room, her figure gradually fading into the darkness.

"G'night," He heard her say, pulling the door closed as she stepped out into the hall.

"Good night."

* * *

How the hell was Parker supposed to fall sleep after something like _that_?

Better question - how the hell was _he_? After all, it had been **his** mind that was being toyed with, she was just unfortunate enough to catch the feedback.

Parker tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position, but not one of them was working for her. The sun had started to rise, it's light filtering in through the window making it that much more difficult to force herself to sleep.

And that asshole was expecting her to be ready for training in a few hours? Lord have mercy...

She pressed her eyes shut and imagined fluffy white sheep, clouds... - pretty much anything soft that she thought might help lull her to sleep, but it just wasn't happening. She was too on edge about everything, she had way too much to think about...this was all just way more than what she had bargained for.

And she couldn't help but be worried about whatever it was that was going on with Loki. Who was that woman and what the hell did she mean _"Remember whom it is that you serve"_? Parker found herself becoming more and more unsettled by the fact that she really knew nothing about him - the man that was supposed to teach her how to survive the coming war or whatever. He was not very forthcoming in regards to his past and personal life and it was not like her father really left any clues or anything. Yet, she was supposed to trust this guy. No one explicitly told her that she had to trust him, but there it was - she was relying on him to teach her what she needed to know in order to live through what was coming, even though she knew next to nothing about him save for the fact that he was a lying snake who stole the Throne and threw his adoptive father into a prison cell to rot for the rest of eternity, not to mention that he had kidnapped and maimed the shit out of her both mentally and physically.

Not exactly ideal, as far as mentors go.

And she was going to be alone with him for the day.

_"Ugh."_

Parker ran a hand down her face as she let out a small puff of air. She had almost forgotten Thor was leaving for New York. She knew he would not be gone for too long, but the idea of being at home, alone, almost in the middle of nowhere, with a homicidal god wasn't exactly how she had wanted to spend the day. Even if he was cute.

_"Jesus, Parker. Stop it."_

She mentally slapped herself before she heard a soft knock at the door. She turned my eyes to see Thor standing in the doorway, almost laughing out loud when she noticed how little clearance he had between the top of his head and the door frame. He offered a small smile, which she returned.

"Hitting the road, I take it?"

"I do not understand," He stated, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You're leaving," Parker clarified with a soft chuckle.

"Oh. Well, yes - I've come to bid you farewell. As I said before though, it should not be long."

"Alright. Have a nice trip."

"I just hope it is a productive one," She heard Thor mutter.

The girl let out another quiet laugh and Thor simply smiled in response.

"Take care," She offered.

"You too."

With that the God of Thunder turned and disappeared down the hall. Parker heard the front door close behind him as he left and surprisingly, she did not feel particularly uneasy about it. She pulled the covers up around her chin and buried her face into the pillow, pressing her eyes shut. It took a bit, but she eventually drifted off to sleep. For a little while, that is.

* * *

"Parker, wake up."

Loki stood beside Parker's bed, hands clasped behind his back as he waited patiently for the girl to respond so that they could start their day. He stared down her, her small body tangled up in the blankets, her hair a mess, baggy shirt all askew...

_"Not a graceful creature, is she?"_

For a moment he waited, nudging her when she failed to respond.

"Honestly, woman...," He huffed.

She finally stirred, mumbling something incomprehensible as she pulled the covers up and over her face. He wasn't positive, but Loki was fairly sure that she had just essentially told him to piss off. This fucking woman was going to drive him mad.

Suddenly, an idea struck the God of Mischief and he took a couple large steps back. A grin spread across his lips as he watched Parker's cover's begin to shift and change form. Small portions of the blanket started to break away from each other, turning from it's original pastel blue to a grey-ish brown color. His grin widened as he noticed the plush blanket take on more of a hairy texture, legions of tiny legs wriggling about.

Slowly, Parker began to wake up, rousing as she felt a horde of Tarantula's crawling over her body. He held back a laugh as a mortified look crossed her face and she let out a shriek. She was out of bed and across the room in _seconds._

"What the fuck?!" She screeched, casting a deadly look Loki's way as she ran her hands over her body and through her hair, brushing away at phantom spiders.

"You'd be wise to remember this the next time I tell you to do something," He replied nonchalantly.

An aggravated growl escaped her lips.

"Look, I'm just...I'm not in a good mood today -"

"Oh I know," He interjected scornfully, "Your hero has abandoned you. How very sad."

The girl simply stared at him for a moment, as if she was unsure of how she should respond.

"You've really got some self-esteem issues, huh?"

He wanted to reach out and smack her across the face like an insolent child, but he managed to hold back his anger, opting instead to scoff at her.

"Make yourself decent, I'll be waiting downstairs."

* * *

"Stop _trying _to hit me and _do _it, woman!" Loki snarled as he appeared in front of Parker.

She swung, expecting her fist to land on the god's face, but instead finding only a green smoke-like haze where he had once been.

"How am I suppose to hit you if you keep moving like that?" She growled.

"Do you think that your enemies will be kind enough to stand still while you attack them?" She heard his voice ask from somewhere in the room, though she couldn't quite pinpoint it.

"Why is it so important that **I **fight, anyway..."She grumbled to herself.

To say that question had crossed her mind a few times was an understatement - it wasn't that Parker didn't care, but she knew who she was and she was **not **made of the same stuff that heroes like Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America were made of, she just wasn't. Hell, she wasn't even made out of the same stuff that Loki was, and while she would have been grateful for that any other day, she knew that even Loki, as evil and conniving as he was, would still be infinitely more help than she could ever be.

Loki appeared before her again, his hands behind his back.

"Because it is not just _your _pathetic little world that is at stake here, Parker - it is _everything_."

"I get that - I just...I don't get why, when there are others out there who are so much stronger and so much more experienced with shit like this than I am, that it is so important that I be involved..." She explained as she ran a hand through her hair, shifting uncomfortably under Loki's hard gaze.

"Are you referring to your _Avengers?_" He practically spat the title.

"Well, yeah. And people like them," She said with a small shrug.

Loki simply stared at the girl for a moment, choosing his words carefully before he spoke.

"So you would rather hide behind your heroes than risk dirtying your own hands to save yourself, is that what I am to understand?" He questioned lowly.

"It - no - it's not like that."

"What _is _it like, if not that?"

Parker forced her eyes to the floor. She hadn't anticipated that she would be engaging in an argument over convictions with the God of Mischief - and she certainly hadn't expected that it would be a battle that _she _would lose.

"You know, when I was a kid...all I ever wanted was to be something more than what I was. I wanted to be extraordinary and do things that no one else could do. I wanted to be special. And now that I'm older - ever since I started developing these abilities, really - I just...I want to be normal. I want to be completely ordinary and boring, but now there is this whole...mess of a thing and it just - it kind of sucks."

"Luck of the draw, I suppose," He practically whispered.

She let out a dry laugh in response.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Some are simply destined for greatness, Parker - regardless of whether or not they desire it," He offered quietly.

She turned her eyes up to meet his thoughtful gaze as a small smile crept its way onto her face.

"_God, _you almost sound like my dad," She replied playfully.

"Oh - well - that'll be quite enough of that, then, won't it?" Loki retorted with a grin, "Shall we go again?"

"_Ugggh,_ you're gonna kill me..."

"I told you - I haven't made a decision on that quite yet," He quipped, offering her a quick wink.

She felt a flutter inside of her chest as warmth rushed to her cheeks and she turned away.

_"Ohhhh, Parker. You're in trouble."_


	10. Chapter 10: The Enchantress

Parker quickly ducked down as Loki swung at her, turning and throwing her fist into his chest only for the figure to vanish before her eyes. It was more out of impulse that she had struck him – or tried to, anyway – as she had known in the back of her head that that Loki had been an illusion. There was something slightly off with his duplicates. They looked just like him – sure, but she found that if she really took a good, hard look at them, his skin seemed to have a shimmer to it, not unlike the effect that his magic had had on the doorknob in his study. She knew that if she just paid enough attention, she would be able to spot the real trickster in the room – it was just a matter of sifting through the army of Loki's that had surrounded her.

"_Focus, Parker."_ She told herself.

She shot her eyes upwards, quickly surveying the crowd as she figured out where she needed to go. She pushed herself to her feet, twisting her body as another Loki took a shot at her. She turned, pushing all of her weight into it as her hand collided with the very solid, very real face of mischief. The horde of duplicates disappeared in an instant as the raven haired god stumbled back, holding his hand to his face to gather the blood that spilled from his nose.

Parker couldn't stop herself from smiling a little – they had been at this for _hours_. She didn't know exactly how long it had taken her before she was able to detect the subtle difference between the real Loki and his look-alikes, but once she had it was just a matter of being able to pinpoint the little bastard. And she had finally done it! All of the time that she had spent training with Loki had felt like it had done nothing for her up until she landed that punch – for once, she felt like perhaps she was getting somewhere.

After a moment, Loki pulled his hand away from his face, staring at the small pool of blood that had collected in his palm. He turned his eyes up to meet Parker's as he wiped at the red fluid that was left on his face with his other hand, offering her a genuine smile.

"Much better," He told her, his satisfaction with her evident in his voice.

Parker simply smiled in response.

"Tell me - how is it that you were able to distinguish me from the others?"

"I'm not really sure," Parker said with a shrug, "The other ones just didn't look quite right after a while."

Loki's grin widened at her words.

"Very good," He replied as he turned, walking to the very center of the room.

There he took a seat on the floor, wrapping his long legs around each other in a pretzel-like form.

"Come. Sit," He instructed her, gesturing to the spot directly in front of him.

She rolled her eyes, not entirely impressed with the way he tended to bark orders at her as if she were some kind of dog. Nevertheless, she obeyed, making her way the center of the room and taking a seat in front of her mentor.

As soon as she had settled, Loki held out his hands with his palms facing upwards.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Parker narrowed her eyes.

"Calm down, child. That particular exercise was used only because you were injured," He explained, "I'm going to teach you something."

"Oh, finally?"

"Don't get cheeky."

Two small, green flames appeared in his palms, hovering just above the skin. Parker had seen him do something similar when her father had first taken his cuffs off, but the spectacle was still a bit awe-inspiring to her. She thought that perhaps it was silly of her to be so captivated by something so small, but the idea of bringing something into existence just like that astounded her.

"Well...go on, then," She heard him say.

"What – do _that_? Yeah right -"

"You must _try_, Parker. Focus yourself – see the flames, feel them, pull them from inside of your mind into this physical world."

Parker closed her eyes as she held out her hands and did as she was told. She concentrated, picturing flames in her palms, imagining the heat on her skin – and slowly, she actually began to _feel_ it.

Hesitantly, she peeled her eyes open and turned them down to look. In the palms of her small hands sat two purple flames, only about half the size of the ones Loki had produced, but when she flicked her eyes up to look at her teacher, he looked pleased nonetheless.

* * *

"Where the hell _is_ he?" Parker asked herself out loud as she paced between the kitchen and the living room.

Loki sat on the couch, staring at the television screen disinterestedly as a rerun of _How I Met Your Mother _played. He had been entirely unconcerned with the fact that his brother had not returned and was gradually becoming irritated with the fact that it seemed to bother Parker so.

She stopped for a moment, gazing out of the front window as the sun began to sink behind the fields. She tried to remember exactly what time it had been when Thor had left, though she knew it certainly had been well over six hours.

"What, exactly, is your goal in all of this?" Loki's voice came, pulling Parker from her thoughts as he mimicked her walking path with his long, outstretched finger.

She stared at him for a moment, gave an exaggerated shrug, and continued to pace, muttering to herself.

"Do you not think that your dear Thor can handle himself?"

She stopped again, shooting the god an unamused look.

"He said that it should only have taken a few hours – he's been gone all day," She said quietly.

"_Should_ being the operative word, child."

Parker rolled her eyes.

"If you are so concerned, why not contact that woman of his with one of those little...devices?" He suggested.

"What, you mean a phone?"

"Sure."

"I would, but her number was saved into my cell phone and you kind of destroyed that when we met," She explained as she crossed the room and took the spot next to him on the couch.

She held out her hand, revealing the red markings the mangled device had left when it had cut into the skin of her palm.

"Remember?"

"Oooh, yes – that. Does it still hurt?" He questioned quietly, wickedly.

"It's kinda tender, yeah."

Suddenly, Loki took her hand in his, holding it gently as he began to rub his thumb across the wound. For a moment, she watched in amazement as the markings gradually started to fade before she turned her eyes to him, noticing how very close he was – so close, the tip of her nose brushed the skin of his cheek as she turned.

"Is that better?" He practically purred as he flicked his eyes towards her.

Parker only nodded – it was the only thing she could do. Her heart was pounding in her chest, whether it was out of fear or something else, she couldn't quite tell.

The god smirked as he let out a soft laugh, which tingled as it brushed against her skin.

"_He's totally fucking with me – what an asshole..." _She thought to herself as Loki tilted his head slightly to the side.

His eyes bored into hers – it was like he was challenging her.

"_Fuck it."_

She leaned forward, closing the space between them as she gently pressed her lips to his.

She was terrified – she half expected him to end her any moment, but it didn't happen.

He had been still only for a second before he leaned into it, sliding his hand up her arm to the back of her head, pulling her closer. Their lips moved together slowly, as if to savor the moment, before Loki pulled away. Both said nothing for a moment, taking the opportunity to catch their breath.

"I'm sorry," Parker's small voice came, breaking the silence.

"There's no need to apologize," He replied, his voice and face unreadable.

"Excuse me," He spoke again after a brief moment.

He quickly stood and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Parker alone on the couch to reflect on what had just happened.

She smoothed her hand through her hair, taking extra care of the spot where Loki had placed his hand just moments ago. She pressed her eyes shut and took in a deep breath.

"_I am a _**fucking **_idiot."_

* * *

Loki stood unnaturally still underneath the flowing water of the shower, allowing the steaming liquid to roll over his cool, porcelain skin as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He slowly raised a hand upwards, gingerly touching his fingertips to his lips – he could still feel her soft, warm mouth against his, tormenting him. He had not expected such a meek little thing like Parker to make such a bold move, though he found that he was not particularly upset that she had. It brought about some troubling thoughts and feelings – yes, but the act itself had not been at all unenjoyable. He had enjoyed it perhaps a bit more than he should have allowed himself to, actually, but it was not the filthy thoughts and images that had crept into his mind during their little kiss that vexed him so. It was more of the fact that he found himself _caring_ enough to **not** act upon those thoughts that irked him. He had tried to reason with himself that it was for his own benefit that he not get involved with Parker – that Brael would certainly catch wind of his transgression and come down on him, but unfortunately, as good as Loki was at lying, he could not deceive himself – even if what he was telling himself was kind of true. Brael certainly would have been terribly angry had he acted upon his desires, and the last thing he needed was yet another person gunning for him.

Suddenly, there came a deafening noise as the house shook violently. In an instant, the god was out of the shower, dressing himself with a wave of his hand as he heard the faint sound of a woman's voice beyond the door.

"_Speak of the Devil..."_

* * *

Parker was on the ground. She wasn't quite sure how she had gotten there, but there she was nonetheless. Whatever it was had happened so quickly, there was no chance to react to it – it just all of sudden _was._ She peeled her eyes open to find herself looking up at the ceiling of the kitchen, a smokey haze floating in the air. She turned her gaze to look at her body, which was covered in dust and chunks of debris, before she felt the warmth of blood trickling down her forehead. Raising a hand, she gently skimmed her fingertips along the skin before she located the wound – a small gash near her hairline. Pushing herself up using her elbow, she cringed – apparently she was worse off than what she had initially thought. She looked up to see a giant hole where the front of her parent's home used to be – bits of glass, siding, and wood were strewn across the living room and kitchen. In the center of this mess stood a tall, blonde woman – she wore a green dress and a wicked grin.

"Hello, child," The familiar woman sneered as she took a couple steps closer.

Parker tried to drag herself away from the woman as she approached, letting out a strangled cry as she felt a tearing in her leg – a portion of the wall had landed on her and something must have gotten caught.

"Who are you?" Parker asked, her voice trembling.

"I am The Enchantress, Amora – born of Asgard."

"Oh."

The door to the bathroom swung open as Loki casually strolled out, dressed in his usual Asgardian garb. He stopped just a couple feet away from the Enchantress, offering her a tight smile and quick nod.

"Amora," He greeted stiffly.

"Loki," She replied, her voice had an edge to it.

Parker's heart sank – he was in on it. Of course he was. He was Loki, after all – the Trickster.

A handful of dark figures moved in behind Amora and began searching the house as she turned her burning eyes to the floor.

"Kill her," Parker heard the woman order flatly to one of her men.

"Mm, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Loki cut in.

"And why is that?" She spat.

"Because perhaps _he_ doesn't want her dead just yet. Wait until he decides what he wants done with her and then...you can kill her."

The Enchantress let out a frustrated sigh.

"Very well."

Parker continued to stare at the floor, trying to swallow her disappointment, her rage – She hadn't noticed that one of the figures had crept up behind her. She only felt something very solid smash into the back of her head, and then her vision went dark...


	11. Chapter 11: Mongrel

Parker certainly had become an expert, hadn't she? At the whole getting knocked the fuck out and taken captive business, that is. Of course, it seemed to be at least due in part to Loki, _again_ – that son of bitch. She tried her best to keep herself contained as the thought of him turned her stomach and filled her with such hatred, she genuinely doubted if she could physically contain it. Of course, right when she was just starting to learn and do better with his teachings – right when she was just starting to allow herself to trust him, to like him, he would show his true colors – and they were vile.

She had started to regain consciousness, quickly realizing that she was being held up and dragged by her arms by two of Amora's grunts. She kept her head down, allowing her hair to mask her face as her eyes darted around, scanning their surroundings. They were walking down a fairly long corridor with a few rooms off to the side and one at the very end. The walls were gray, the floor was gray...everything was gray except for the light fixtures and them. The two figures that were dragging her along were dark, any physical characteristics proved very difficult to distinguish – ahead of them was Amora and Loki, in full color, walking side by side as they spoke to one another. Hearing that velvety voice of his made Parker want to scream, it made her want to lunge forward and rip his _fucking_ tongue out. Bastard.

"What do you call this accursed rock that you've brought us to?" She heard him ask.

"My 'home away from home'" She started with a sigh, "You see, evidently Lord Brael was never dead, just...elsewhere. And he has returned to Asgard in your absence. Once he arrived, he sent men for me, so I fled. Strange, though, how he'd be under the impression that I was conspiring against Asgard. The man's been missing for over twenty years and yet he comes back as though he knows something...one might think that someone offered information to him,"

"Mm. I see," Loki replied coolly, "So that's what this is about."

They came to the end of the hall and Amora turned, looking up to Loki's face with a wicked grin.

"Thanos is displeased with you and he wants to have a little _chat_."

"Very well," He didn't sound too concerned despite the menace in the Enchantress' voice, "He is here, then?"

"Not yet."

"Ah."

Amora reached out and tightly grasped the metal knob of the door as she spoke through gritted teeth to the frustrating god in front of her.

"This was supposed to be your second chance, Loki – and I sincerely doubt that there will be a third."

"You're heartbroken, I'm sure."

"Only because I won't have the pleasure of killing you myself," She growled lowly as she pushed the door open, "You will wait here."

"Of course," Loki answered with a tight smile as he disappeared into the room, the evil woman quickly slamming the door shut behind him.

And then she turned to Parker, regaining her composure and offering a small smile.

"Good – you're awake," She stated simply before gesturing towards the room to the left, "Toss her in there, I'd like to have words with her."

The woman held the door open as her men dragged the crimson haired girl into the room, one of them pulling out a fistful of chains engraved with familiar runes. Parker did not struggle – she didn't have the strength to. They wrapped the chains around her wrists, binding both them and her magic before the men made their exit.

"I'll be in for you in a moment, my dear – just, sit tight," She sneered as she shut the door behind her.

Parker pressed her eyes shut and let out a sigh.

"_This is bullshit."_

* * *

Loki had taken a seat on the large sofa in Amora's little waiting room. The soft material was a beautiful emerald green color, which correlated nicely with the paintings and fine fabrics she had draped across the walls. He couldn't help but notice the resemblance that the room held to the woman's bedchambers back hom-

"_- in Asgard,"_ He corrected himself quickly.

He frowned – he hadn't exactly set the bar too high when he had decided to shack up with a woman like her, had he? Sure, she was gorgeous – with her golden hair and long, sun-kissed legs – and she certainly was talented in her craft, but Loki had sensed more power in little Parker than he ever had in Amora. Moreover, Amora's soul was just as vile and dark as his, and that whole saying - that "Bird's of a feather" nonsense – it would only hold true for so long before those "birds" would start to peck away at each other. That's what had happened between Amora and himself, anyway – not to mention her undying love for Thor tended to...complicate things.

Parker, as unskilled as she was, had easily managed to gain much more respect from him in the short time since they'd met than Amora had in the over one thousand years since their paths first crossed – it was a fact that made Loki slightly uneasy. He was not entirely sure whether she had actually _earned _his respect or whether the feeling was a result of some form of bias on his part. He felt for the girl – he didn't approve of it – but he acknowledged, if only to himself, that there was something there. He thought that she was beautiful – he had since he saw her for the first time – her messy red hair, deep blue eyes, her slightly tanned skin, her petiteness...everything about her was appealing to him and he would often stare at her when she wasn't paying attention. And she was pleasant – not particularly well-spoken or overly intelligent, but pleasant enough that he could enjoy her company.

Loki slid a hand down his face and let out a sigh.

There he was – the God of Mischief – waiting for the consort of Death to arrive, likely to kill him -

And all he could think about was a girl from Earth...

* * *

Parker had managed to move herself so that she was seated on the floor with her back against the wall by the time Amora had come back. She stared at the girl as she closed the door behind her, unblinking, emotionless. The Enchantress crossed the room in a few quick steps, coming to crouch in front of Parker.

"Hello again, little one," She spoke quietly, threateningly.

Parker said nothing,

"I have a few question I'd like to ask you, my dear."

"_Well this is awfully familiar," _Parker thought bitterly, remembering how Loki had questioned her after he had taken her captive.

"Oh? How's that?" Amora asked.

Parker turned her eyes up to look at the goddess.

"You can read minds, too, huh?"

"I can," Amora answered with a smile.

"Great."

"Indeed. ...Child, I need you to tell me what Loki has told you...anything about any stones, gems, anything of that nature. Understand?"

"Why don't you just read my mind?" Parker growled.

Amora's smile faltered and she was quiet for a moment as she raised a hand up, tracing her fingertips along the edges of the small, glowing gem that was attached to the silver chain around her neck.

"I could do much more than _read _your mind, girl. And as easy as it would be, I personally prefer a more...traditional method of interrogation."

Parker, again, remained silent.

Amora's face contorted into a snarl as she quickly reach out her hand and wrapped it around Parker's throat, squeezing and crushing the frail bits inside before she tossed the small girl across the room effortlessly.

"You will give me the information I seek," The woman hissed as she crossed the room, crouching down again over Parker, "What has Loki told you? He was the one who informed Lord Brael, wasn't he? Tell me, mortal!"

"No."

"Foolish girl," The Enchantress growled as she smashed her fist into Parker's face, causing her head to bounce off of the floor and spilling blood from her nose and mouth. She had felt the crunch of bone as her knuckles collided with the small girls face, she smiled knowing she had broken something.

"Thanos _will_ be successful regardless of whether or not you cooperate, you little mutt – choosing to do so will only make this easier on yourself, but it is not necessary."

"You have the gem," Parker struggled to say, pointing a shaking finger at the blue stone around Amora's neck, "Why go through all this trouble when you can read my mind, or control it and make me tell you?"

"Guess."

"Because you want me to suffer?"

"No...because I want _him_ to."

Amora took a swipe at Parker, slicing into her skin and creating three dripping, crimson lines across her face. The girl let out a small scream as the Asgardian grinned above her.

"I know Loki has betrayed us and I'll be damned if that snake walks away from it this time," The goddess snarled.

"I can't help you."

"You can't? Or you won't?" She questioned bitterly.

"Take your pick, bitch," Parker spat.

Amora's lips formed a tight line as she pressed her hand onto the Midgardian's chest, right above her collarbone. She grinned wickedly as the young girl began to scream in agony and thrash about underneath her – a terrible, searing pain shooting through little Parker's chest. She removed her hand when her work was finished and stood, leaving the girl a crumpled mess on the floor.

Parker simply laid there in silence, taking shallow, painful breaths as blood ran down her bruised, battered face.

She pressed her eyes shut and waited – either for Death or a Miracle, whichever came first.

* * *

Loki stood by the door waiting – waiting for his chance to dart out of that room and find Parker. He had heard her screams through the walls and it stabbed at his heart, though he suspected that's very much what Amora had wanted. Still, he was overcome with a strange mix of emotions – Panic, maybe? Anger, definitely. As soon as he heard the echos of that wretched woman's footsteps no more, he quickly broke the weak locking enchantment Amora had placed on the door and quietly slipped out into the hallway, disguised as one of her grunts.

She wasn't in the first room closest to his, but the second – and that's where he found her, laying on the floor, a bloody mess.

He slowly stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind him as he looked upon her. Her hair was a tangled mess with dark splotches of blood, her face – or what he could see of it – was also drenched in the red liquid. He noticed that her wrists were bound in chains with magic binding runes – he was slightly surprised, though he should have expected no less. Parker's eyes had been closed at first, but she opened them when she heard the door click shut, turning them up to look at him- her face unreadable.

It was only when he shed his disguise that she reacted.

She instantly withdrew further into the room upon seeing his face, pushing herself until she hit the far wall.

"Stay the **fuck** away from me," She snarled.

"Parker, please..." Loki began as he took a couple steps towards her.

"Stay back, you fucking piece of shit!"

"Parker, you're being ridiculous,"

He took another step closer before he felt a small blast hit him. It wasn't enough to hurt – it wasn't even enough to make him move, but he had definitely felt it. He stared at her, wide eyed, for a moment. No one – _no one, _wielded magic so powerful that those markings could not contain it. He had to be mistaken.

The god shook the thought from his mind and continued to cross the room before coming to kneel down in front of the small woman.

"Amora did this?," He asked as he tilted her head back and began to wipe gently at the blood on her face.

She was tense for moment, quiet and gaze averted, before she let out a quivering breath, slumping slightly as she spoke.

"Yeah, your girlfriend's a cunt," She responded, wincing as he grazed a particularly tender spot.

He tried to withhold a smile at her words.

"Don't be vulgar," He scolded, "Besides, you can rest assured that any relationship that Amora and I once shared has long since come to an end."

"Could have fooled me."

"Ah – that _is_ what I do best, isn't it?" He jested.

They sat in silence for a few moments as Loki continued to clean the blood from her face, neck, and...

He stopped abruptly at her chest, feeling a rage build inside of him like none that he had ever felt before. The wound there – if you could call it that – it made his stomach turn and filled him with such anger that it physically shook him.

"**Mongrel."**

That bitch had burned those letters, that vile word, into Parker's skin – branding the girl for what she was. It was sickening. Even to him.

She had punished this girl for no other reason than to take out the aggression that she held towards him and perhaps to provoke him. His eyes scanned Parker's bloody, broken form and he knew that it was his fault.

He gently placed his hands on either side of her face and tilted her head back to face him again before he spoke.

"I am so sorry for the pain that I have brought upon you, but I promise **I am on your side** and I will do _whatever_ is necessary to prove that to you."

And for the first time in a very long time, Loki had meant every word he said.

* * *

"What?" Loki asked, unamused as he stared at the small woman in front of him with eyes wide open.

He found himself uncertain as to how he should react to the vulgarities she had spat at him. He had just offered her the only thing that he had left to offer anybody – his word. His _honest _word, to be more precise, and the stubborn little mortal responded to this kindness by telling him to "Fuck off".

"You want to sit there and pretend that you're my friend; you want to act like you care – Loki, the God of Chaos and _Lies,_ who would straight up fucking _murder _the only people who ever cared about him if it served him well enough – _please_. Don't insult me." The girl growled.

Loki did his best to hold his tongue as he felt his annoyance level rising – how _dare_ she? He was simply trying to help her and even offered himself as an ally, and yet she still had the audacity to be mouthy. _How very human of her_.

"Parker..."He began quietly, trying very hard to mask his irritation with her before she cut him off.

"Look – on the _very _off-chance that you really are being sincere right now, there is** one** thing that you can do to prove your...allegiance or whatever."

"And what would that be?" He inquired.

"Go find your fucking girlfriend and rip that pretty little necklace from around her throat. Then...if you could get us out of here – alive, preferably – that'd be wonderful.."

"Parker, we don't exactly have an abundance of _time_," Loki started, trying to reason with the woman.

"Then you'd better make it quick," She answered coldly before he could say anything more.

Balling up his fists, he spoke warningly to the girl through gritted teeth.

"You ought to be more grateful, child, that you can count me among your allies."

"We're **not** allies," She snarled, "Not yet."

He let out a low growl in frustration as he turned his gaze away from her.

They needed to leave and they needed to leave **immediately** – at least, _he_ did. This nonsense from Parker was entirely unnecessary, although not unwarranted, and he contemplated abandoning her for a split second before something at the back of his mind reprimanded him for it. He needed to make her understand how imperative it was that they make their escape straightaway but knew that in her current state of mind, she was not going to have it. He certainly was not about to entertain her idea, though – he was not going to waste his time and effort pursuing the Enchantress, even if she _did_ possess an Infinity Stone, not while he was on the clock, so to speak. **He **was coming, damn it. Thanos was coming and he was coming for him! If ever Loki required an ally, a friend – it was now. He _needed _Parker, regardless of how useless she would be in her condition. In spite of the fact that he held no desire to ever engage in any type of relationship that might render him vulnerable, he _wanted_ the girl to live and he knew that he could not stand alone against his enemies. As cold as Loki was, he was not so emotionally inept that he could not recognize when something _mattered _to him, and Parker, for whatever reason, seemed to matter. He reasoned with himself that for the time being, he could let it go, in a way – that the girl was a key asset to have to ensure his own survival and that he _needed_ to care, if only just enough to keep her alive. If there were any feelings left over after all was said and done, he promised himself that he would bury them deep, as he had done with all of the other bothersome sentiments that he had had.

But they had to go – they had to go _right away_ and so the trickster did what came naturally to him.

"Alright then, I'll do it," He lied, "Now, on your feet."

He gently pulled Parker up by the hand.

"Can't you just leave me here and come back when you've got it?" She suggested, cringing as she struggled to stay upright.

"I _could, _but suppose someone undesirable should find you in my absence – what then? You're virtually defenseless in your current state and you'd be no good to anyone dead, now would you?"

Parker merely groaned in response as the two shuffled their way across the room and out into the hall.

* * *

The building was entirely too quiet. The hallways were empty and the only thing to be heard was a faint humming sound – something just seemed _off. _Not that Parker would know, of course – She had been kidnapped by a deranged deity before, sure, but she was at least capable of guessing where she was being held the first time around. Plus, she had a slight idea of who she was dealing with when Loki had taken her – she knew absolutely **nothing **about this Amora lady. Her father had never included her in any of his stories, and neither Thor nor Loki had made any mention of her – she just kind of showed up and knocked in the front of her childhood home. _Bitch_.

Loki and Parker made their way through the building, twisting and turning through the maze-like structure. She had utterly no idea where they were headed seeing as she had been unconscious for the majority of their trip through the Enchantress' little labyrinth earlier, but Loki seemed sure enough. She hated that she was again in a situation where she had to rely on him – trust him, even. It would be just as easy for him to throw her to the dogs, to let her distract them in order to buy himself more time, though she got the distinct feeling that that was not his plan.

All of a sudden, Parker felt herself being shoved backwards and pressed tightly against the wall.

"What the fuck?" She hissed quietly as she shot a murderous look Loki's way, swatting at his arm.

He kept her pinned to the wall as he turned his face towards her, eyes narrowed.

"Quiet," He mouthed as he lowered his arm, dipping his long fingers into a side pocket and carefully pulling out two double-edged daggers.

She did as she was told - she stayed quiet as Loki quickly whirled around the corner and flung his daggers through the air. Parker cringed internally when she heard two heavy bodies collapse onto the floor.

"We must move quickly," He whispered as he turned back towards her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders so that she could lean against him for support.

They made their way down the corridor, taking care to be quiet and to step around the corpses at their feet.

"Don't look too closely, child..."She heard him suggest softly as they passed the lifeless figures.

He must have felt Parker tense up – she couldn't have helped it if she had tried. The dark creatures were sprawled out across the floor with this disgusting, thick goop oozing from their necks. They were by no means human, they were...She didn't even know.

They rounded the corner and she turned her eyes up to see a rather large door just ahead of them. She instantly had this sinking feeling in her chest. Parker knew that this was not the way – she didn't know how, but she just _knew. _

He wasn't leading them to Amora, he was leading them to the fucking exit.


	12. Chapter 12

"You're a fucking coward," Parker said flatly as she ducked out from underneath Loki's arm.

Turning on her heel, she started back down the corridor, only pausing for a moment at the sound of shouting in the distance. She shook it off – to hell with it, right? The opportunity was there, why not take it? It might have been their last chance for all she knew.

She only made it a few steps further before she felt Loki's cold fingers wrap themselves tightly around her wrist in a vise-like grip.

"Piss off," She spat as she tried to wrench her arm away from the raven haired god, but it was of no use.

With a single, sharp yank he pulled the small woman back towards him with ease.

"Let me go," Parker demanded as she struggled to free herself from the man's hold, though nothing she did seemed to faze him as he continued to drag her towards his towering frame.

"If you're too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done, then please – allow me," She huffed as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Don't be absurd, you'll do nothing of the sort – not with the shape that you're in."

Parker persisted, attempting to pry herself away from Loki with the one hand that she had free – again, it did not seem to do her much good.

"I am **not** going _anywhere_ with **you**!"

"Then you will die," The god responded simply, coldly.

Parker launched her free fist forward, landing a punch on Loki's chest. Wincing immediately from the blow, she pulled her hand back – her knuckles sore and swollen. Loki shot her an annoyed look in response.

"You...you fucking _tricked_ me...," She muttered under her breath, admitting to herself out loud what had happened.

It was not like she hadn't figured that that might happen when dealing with the God of Mischief, but she had sincerely hoped that it wouldn't. She had thought that maybe the seriousness of the situation might inspire Loki to do something good, but she knew that that would be a stretch. Their motives were too far apart, no matter who's side he claimed to be on – she wanted to save the universe, and Loki...well, Loki just wanted to save himself.

"Would you expect anything less?" He sneered as he made to move them both closer to the exit, but Parker stopped and to her surprise, rather than dragging her along with him, he stopped as well.

His face turned to stone as he looked into Parker's eyes, but she held his gaze, unflinching.

"You mustn't be so childish, Parker – I am trying to _help_ you. You need to trust me that this is the best course of action."

"For who – you? Because from where I'm standing, I'd say that getting an Infinity Gem out of enemy hands takes precedence over your desire to avoid a run-in with your boss, all things considered."

"It is," Loki conceded, taking Parker aback slightly, "But the Stone can wait."

"No, it can't," Parker insisted, "Do you have any idea what she could do with that thing?"

"Not as much as you might think. Amora is very powerful and talented in the ways of magic, yes – but when it comes to the mind, she leaves a bit to be desired. She is far too unpracticed in that particular field to wield the power of the gem without _severe_ repercussions."

Parker simply continued to look upon him in silence, and he could sense that she was unsure. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

"Look, Thanos offered each of us a kind of...reward, in exchange for our cooperation and what Amora desires more than anything else is Thor. She has been in love with the fool for centuries, but the feeling has never been reciprocated, and therefore, in exchange for her loyalty, Thanos offered her Thor's undying love. If she could wield the power of the Infinity Stone, she would have Thor already and certainly would not be answering to Thanos – you must see reason here, Parker."

The girl bobbed her head softly, accepting his explanation.

"We're just...we're _right _here. This is our opportunity," She argued weakly.

"Child, we are presented with countless opportunities to do a great number of things every moment of every day, but you must know when to take them and when to let them go."

Parker let out a sigh, wilting a little as she did. Loki knew he had won.

His victory was short-lived though, as the sound of boots pounding against the floor echoed off of the walls. They grew louder and louder by the second as what could only be a horde of Amora's men approached.

Hastily, Loki pulled Parker towards him, wrapping his arm around her and holding her tightly to him as they made for the door.

A group of dark figures rounded the corner, armed with strange, translucent purple blades. One of the creatures let out a terrible, strangled cry as they charged towards them.

Loki quickly whipped around, shooting a powerful blast of energy at the creatures which reduced them to nothing but stains on the wall behind them.

Pressing onward, Loki pulled open the door and together, he and Parker stepped outside. The woman's gaze was instantly drawn to the gray, rocky surface beneath her. She followed it out with her eyes and found that it seemed to end rather abruptly, dropping off into nothingness. There were no other buildings, no other signs of life, and no sky above them – only the vast black sheet of space.

Parker's heart started to pound in her chest as the reality of the situation that she was in finally hit her – she was severely injured and trapped on a barren rock, floating through space with an angry goddess and her servants on her tail. Without realizing it, she had been holding her breath – she went to inhale, to fill her air with lungs and to her terror, found that she could not. She kept trying, sucking in nothing as she began to panic.

"What? What is it?" Loki questioned, hearing Parker's desperate gasps.

The girl put her hand to her throat, looking into Loki's eyes, pleading.

"What...," He uttered, trailing off as it hit him.

He should have foreseen it – of course, Parker, being partially of human parentage, would not be able to survive in an atmosphere so unlike that of Earth's. She required much more oxygen than what was available to her outside, on the desolate piece of stone...

She let out a terrified cry, bringing Loki's attention back to the present. Despite her inability to speak, he could hear her thoughts loud and clear. He needed to calm her down.

"Parker, I know you're scared, but we must press on. You understand, yes?"

She nodded her head quickly, tears building in her eyes as she reached for him.

"Very good, love. Very good," He encouraged gently as he guided her, putting as much distance between them and the Enchantress' lair as possible.

Parker rapidly began to lose what little strength she had, eventually falling to her knees as she succumbed to oxygen deprivation.

"Parker," Loki breathed, "Parker, get up...please, you must..."

He gathered the small girl up into his arms when she didn't respond, feeling a twinge of concern as he noticed a very slight blue hue developing in her skin.

Suddenly, a large group of Amora's men came spilling out of the building, rushing towards Loki and the unconscious woman. The young god stood, holding Parker to his chest as he turned and fled.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"

He continued to run, pushing forward as fast as his feet would carry him, hoping that the gatekeeper would respond.

The rock came to an abrupt end and Loki found himself with no where to go.

He turned to see two of the dark figures advancing on them and softly set Parker down before reaching for the dagger strapped to his hip. He stood and quickly whirled around, plunging the blade into the chest of the vile creature as it lunged towards him. As that servant crumbled to the ground, the other charged Loki from the side, but the god was too fast – spinning and slashing the throat of the monster wide open.

He directed his attention, again, to Parker – returning to her side and wrapping his arms around the girl's limp body.

"Heimdall! She is going to **die**_..._"

Loki looked up, watching the group of creatures as they rushed towards him, but he remained in place, holding his friend in his arms. Then, he found himself engulfed in a brilliant, colorful light...

And he held her to him even tighter.

* * *

Loki clutched Parker tightly against his chest as everything came to an abrupt stop around him, feeling, at last, solid ground beneath his feet. He could hear two men speaking ahead of him, but it was a moment before he was able to truly focus on his surroundings. His heart was pounding, threatening to burst clean out of his chest, his ears were ringing loudly, he felt shaky - weak, even, and he could find no reason for it. Eventually, he turned his eyes towards the source of the voices, finding there the noble Gatekeeper, Heimdall, and Brael.

"The Allfather will not be pleased, sir."

"Oh? He won't? Oh, well then - we can't have that, now can we? Better send them off," The older man sneered.

"I only meant -"

"I know very well what you meant, Heimdall. Odin is going to be upset, yes - but tell me, when was the last time that miserable old fucker has felt anything different?"

"Have care how you speak, Lord Brael. The Allfather may be aloof at times, but he is our king, nevertheless."

"He's a crotchety old bastard is what he is," Brael spat as he started across the round room, "Would leave my daughter to die if it was too much of a fucking _inconvenience _for him to do otherwise."

Loki allowed his eyes to fall to the lifeless girl in his arms - her skin had taken on a sickly blue color and he was having difficulty sensing much activity in her mind. He hardly noticed that Brael had come to a stop in front of him as he stared down at the unbreathing, bloody, limp figure.

"Give her to me," Brael ordered, a noticeable quiver to his voice.

The young god did not register his words at first, his gaze locked on the small woman as if he were looking for something. Something that he could do to fix her - he didn't know why he desired to help her so, only that he did not want her to die. He felt a pang of guilt, as though he were somehow responsible for her current situation, but he quickly pushed that away. No, this was Odin's fault. He was the one who had pulled her into this madness, not him.

"Loki," Brael's voice came again, "You did what you could...now, please..."

Loki hesitantly complied, carefully handing Parker off to her father, who cradled his child in his arms as he stepped away. Resting his back against the wall behind him, the older man slid down into a seated position with his little girl in his lap, brushing bloody strings of hair away from her face as he softly began to whisper healing incantations.

Heimdall and Loki stood in silence, watching as Brael sat with his arms wrapped around the lifeless body of his daughter, murmuring words of healing into her blood matted hair. His eyes were watering, Loki noticed, and a sense of shame quickly washed over the trickster.

"Sir," Heimdall spoke after a few long minutes, "In your current state, perhaps it may be wiser to seek the aid of a healer."

Brael did not respond, instead continuing on with his incantations. The blue color that had stained Parker's usually rather healthy complexion had started to fade, but the girl still was not breathing. Brael's magic, in his distress, was not working half as well as it should have, and their time was limited. Both Heimdall and Loki could see that Brael alone would not be able to revive her.

"My Lord," The gatekeeper tried again, "I must insist that we send for Eir."

Again, the man did not respond – it was as if the whole world ceased to be the moment he had taken his daughter into his arms. The only thing that tore his attention away was when he had noticed Loki crouch down in front of him.

The God of Mischief had never been particularly skilled in the art of healing others; he could patch himself up with ease, but the energy it took to heal another person was entirely too draining. It was not that he lacked the power to do so, but he found it tiring and besides, he was never too concerned with the well-being of others. It had occurred to him though, as he watched his former mentor struggling to breathe life back into his only child, that he possessed another ability which could prove to be useful.

Loki reached out and carefully placed his hand upon the girls chest, a soft glow emanating from beneath it. He may not have been the best when it came to restoration magic, but he did have the capability to transfer his own powers to another being, if only temporarily.

Brael stopped for a moment, watching as Parker's wounds began to mend themselves, her skin returning nearly to its normal color. Finally, the woman's chest visibly rose and fell as she drew in air, causing her father to let out a joyful cry.

The young god took a step back as Brael pulled his still unconscious daughter into an embrace, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he stood.

"You've got some balls comin' here, boy – I'll give you that," He said after a moment.

"I did not have much choice in the matter, I'm afraid," Loki responded coolly.

"Yes, well...between your tricks and mine, we should be able to keep you relatively safe from harm, don't you think?"

"I appreciate the offer, sir, but I require favors from no one," The young god answered tightly, allowing his pride to take hold.

Brael chuckled softly and offered Loki a slight smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

"Trust me, son. You need all the help you can get."

* * *

Parker woke up to ringing in her ears, swaddled in golden satin sheets as her eyes fluttered open. She found herself in a moderately sized bedroom, much smaller than Loki's had been but much larger than any she had ever had for herself. She couldn't figure out why the thought of Loki's room had been brought to her mind at first, but eventually it dawned on her that the thick, stone walls and ridiculously high ceilings were nearly identical...

And as quickly as that, she knew where she was.

She let out a large puff of air as relief swept through her, which was quickly followed by a wave of excitement. She could _fucking breathe_! Maybe it was lame to be so overjoyed, to revel in the feeling of fresh air filling her lungs, but she was ecstatic. Her entire body ached and her head was throbbing, but damn, she felt fantastic as she drew in as much oxygen as she could, replacing the nasty, stale air that had been stored inside of her.

"Finally awake, I see," She heard a familiar, deep voice say.

Whirling her head around (Which was a bad idea, by the way. Ow.), her eyes found the God of Thunder standing smugly in the doorway. She wanted to be happy to see him, she wanted to be comforted by the fact that he was ok, but she wasn't. She was pissed.

"Where the fuck were you? What took you so goddamned long-," Parker couldn't help it, it just came pouring before she could get a grip on her emotions. It was like she was a passenger for a moment, just listening as someone who sounded exactly like her tore into one of Earth's mightiest and beloved heroes.

Thor merely chuckled, taking a step into the room as he pulled the door behind him. It would seem that my words had no effect on him either which way, and that only made it worse.

"Leave that open," She snapped in her frustration.

The large man shot an amused look at her over his shoulder as the door clicked shut.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," He stated simply.

Parker stared at him for a second – why was he acting so odd? She did not know Thor terribly well, but she knew him well enough to recognize that this was strange behavior for the God of Thunder. Her chest felt tight and she could feel the color drain from her face as she realized that her current situation could just be a mind game. Maybe she was not in Asgard at all, maybe Thor wasn't really in front of her, maybe she was still lying unconscious on the ground somewhere...

"And why is that?" She heard herself ask quietly.

"Let's just say it would not be in my best interests," He answered with a wicked grin as a green shimmer engulfed him, revealing the mans true identity as it faded.

Loki.

Again, Parker felt a sense of relief wash over her and she let out a sigh as a smile forced its way to her face.

She couldn't remember having ever been happier to see someone in her entire life.

* * *

It had been a tiresome two days for the God of Mischief – he had always known that he had a certain...disdain for people but playing the part of Asgard's favorite warrior certainly put an emphasis on it for him. More than that, he found the constant attention repugnant. He wanted nothing more than to get away from those around him and have a moment to himself, but no one seemed to understand that – or else, they did not care. And he had to be _kind_ to these people! He would have gladly snapped their necks given half the chance, but no – he had to be noble, cordial...

He had to be _Thor. _

After a morning of faking his way through numerous conversations with citizens of various standing and doing everything in his power to avoid contact with Odin, he decided he ought to check in on the girl.

He had stayed with her for most of their first night in Asgard, watching over her and calming her mind whenever it would stray into a dark place, fearing that the stress from such torment would interfere with her healing. He only agreed to leave after Brael had showed up, insisting that he do so, so as to not pull attention his way. The old man believed that if people caught wind that Asgard's chosen son was spending all night locked away with the daughter of Asgard's Master of Magic, they'd talk and that talk would certainly find it's way to the Allfather. He was probably right, so Loki followed his instruction. The next day, he had stopped in to visit her a few times, making sure that she was still in stable condition both physically and mentally. The idea had crossed his mind that once she was well enough, he would send her back to Earth to be with her mother.

Loki knew that Asgard would be no home to her, that once everyone knew of her parentage, she would be shunned regardless of the high esteem in which her father was held. He also knew that the terrible things that were coming their way was nothing that she was ,or ever would be, prepared to face. If anything, she would impede his progress with the situation, not help him. He had no time to play teacher anymore and he certainly would not have time to protect her once Thanos and his thugs made their move, so he thought that perhaps it would be best for her to go home and not involve herself any further.

In any case, he had finally found the time in-between making pleasant small talk with strangers to stop by the girls room, and much to his surprise, he had found that she was awake.

It amused him to no end, listening to her angrily rant and rave at him as he stood before her disguised as Thor – it was a welcomed change to the never-ending brown-nosing of the people of Asgard. It delighted him further when his shift in appearance seemed to appease her – quite the opposite reaction than what he was accustomed to.

"I'm glad to see that you are doing better," He offered as he crossed the room, taking a seat on the side of the bed.

"Yeah, me too," She responded with a small smile, "How long have I been out?"

"About two days."

"Yikes," She said, wrinkling her nose a little, "Has anyone heard from Thor, yet? The real one, that is."

Loki let out a soft chuckle.

"Not yet, but according to Heimdall, it would seem that he simply ran into a bit of trouble trying to retrieve the information from SHIELD," He explained.

"What kind of trouble? Is he ok?"

"Thor is well, and he will be here soon enough, I'm sure."

Parker continued to look at him, waiting for him to answer the first part of her question, repeating herself when she realized he had no intention of doing so.

"What kind of trouble, Loki?"

The raven haired god wrung his hands in his lap. He did not know how she would react to the news that he had – hell, he didn't even know how he should react to it.

"Thor's attempt at retrieving information from SHIELD seems to have been unsuccessful, and the reason for this, evidently, would be that SHIELD no longer exists."

"What?"

He could hear the shock and dismay in her voice.

"We do not know exactly what has happened, but from what we have been able to gather, that seems to be the case."

They sat in silence for a few long moments before Loki decided that perhaps it would be best to leave Parker to her thoughts, but to his surprise, she stopped him.

"Could you...could you just sit with me or something...for a bit?" Her small voice asked.

"Yes, of course."

Normally, Loki would not entertain such a childish request, but he did this time. And that bothered him.

Indeed, he had to be rid of this girl – soon.


	13. Chapter 13

The God of Mischief sat next to Parker on the bed, his back resting against the headboard with his hands folded neatly in his lap. He had grown incredibly bored of her faster than he had imagined possible – the girl had said nothing to him in over half an hour. Not. One. Single. Word.

It was terribly vexing to him.

He kept looking to her, expecting her to speak up, but she never did.

"You are _disturbingly _quiet, child. What is it that has you so perturbed?" He finally asked, although he had a fairly good idea what it was that was bothering her.

She had been sitting there, expressionless, since she had asked him to stay with her, so it was a slight relief when he saw the corners of her mouth quirk up into a small smile.

"How nice of you to actually _ask -_" She started.

"If it is a lengthy explanation, I do not care to hear it," He clarified, only partially in jest.

"That's rude."

"You want honesty from me, do you not?"

"Yea..." She responded quietly, drifting off into thought as her face fell again.

Loki groaned internally, knowing that he had sparked something in her mind that would undoubtedly lead to a line of conversation that he did not want to have.

"What did he offer you?" She inquired after a few moments of silence.

The words had fallen so softly from her lips that he was not entirely sure that he had heard them at all or whether he had merely seen into her thoughts, but the expectant look she had cast his way made it clear that she had, indeed, asked him a question.

"That..." He started, pausing for a second as he considered his response, "That is a conversation for another time, I'm afraid."

"It was the throne, wasn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I mean, that's what you've been after all along, isn't it? Power? To be King or whatever? I'd assume that if he offered you something, it would have to be good. So, that'd be Odin's throne, right?"

"You would assume _wrong_, child," Loki responded casually, brushing off her words as though they _hadn't_ stabbed at him.

"Ugh, stop calling me that."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not a kid!"

"No? Tell me, Parker, just how old _are_ you?" He asked.

"I'm twenty-two."

"Mm. Well, seeing as my existence predates your own by roughly one _thousand_ years, I feel the title is quite fitting for you."

"_Jesus_," She laughed as she slid underneath the covers, curling her body into a more comfortable position and nuzzling her face against the soft fabric of the pillow, "You're ancient."

"Not quite," He grinned, "Am I to understand that this means you intend to rest, now?"

"Mm," She responded, worming her way closer to his side, causing Loki to tense noticeably.

"Calm down, killer," She jabbed when she noticed his shift in posture, "I just...I want you to tell me a story or something."

"I'm sorry?"

"Just, I don't know, talk to me until I fall asleep or tell me a story or something, will ya? All I think about and all I hear about is the fucking Infinity Gauntlet and those damn stones. I just want to have a normal conversation, I want to hear about something nice, something besides this stupid mess, you know? So...tell me about yourself?"

"It would seem that you've taken one too many blows to the head."

"Come on! Entertain me, please?" Parker asked sweetly.

"No, I have entertained you quite enough. In fact, I feel it is time you return the favor."

"Yeah? You want me to talk about myself?"

"Sure," Loki answered, sounding wholly unenthused.

"What do you want to know?"

"Hmm. What _ever _did you do with yourself before we met?"

"Oh god," She snorted, "You're going to be _horribly _disappointed."

"Tell me anyway."

"Ok -"

"But keep it short."

"Fuck you," She spat.

"Don't be vulgar," He scolded her, a grin fixed upon his face.

"Fine," She laughed, " I, uhm, I worked at a grocery store...I had my own place, just me and Darwin -"

"Darwin the cat?" Loki interjected.

"Yes, the cat," She confirmed, "I spent most of my down time either watching television or looking at Facebook and stuff on YouTube...it was pretty boring, really."

"I've not heard of this Facebook or..."

"Youtube?" Parker finished for him, "Yeah, it's...they're just websites. Facebook was meant to allow you to stay in contact with your friends and family and junk but now it's mostly stupid pictures of...I dunno, cats and stuff. And YouTube's got a bunch of videos...of just a bunch of bullshit..."

She pouted, quickly realizing how terribly unimpressive she sounded.

"How_ riveting_."

"Shut up," She spat as she playfully punched the god in his arm.

"You Midgardian's should have let me rule you – your life would have been exponentially more interesting -" He teased.

"Yeah, except I'd probably be dead."

"Not true. I would have at least made you a house girl."

"No thanks. I don't think I'd like that very much."

"Oh, I suspect that you would..." He replied lowly, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

He smiled at her reaction, or lack thereof, knowing that his meaning had not been lost on her.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden door swung open and Loki was across the room in a flash, instantly taking the form of Thor before turning his eyes towards the figure in the doorway, finding there the real God of Thunder.

The golden haired man stood awkwardly for a moment, shifting his eyes between the two of them, before Parker noticed something tucked into the crook of his bulky arm. There sat an orange mass of fur that she recognized immediately.

"Darwin!" She cried as she reached out towards the small cat.

"_Meow." _

The feline wormed his way out of Thor's grasp and leaped onto the bed, making his way towards his human as he purred loudly.

"I'm so glad that you're okay," The woman cooed as she ran her hand through his soft fur.

"After I had returned and found the home destroyed, I came across Darwin hiding in one of the closets. I thought he might like to see you," Thor spoke softly, almost apologetically.

As frustrated as Parker was with the Asgardian prince, she could not help but smile at his words.

"Thank you."

"It was the least I could do."

"So...what happened? With SHIELD, I mean."

"It would seem that they were infiltrated by an outside organization. There is still much that we do not know, but it is apparent that SHIELD is no longer in operation and all of their databases, from what we can tell, have either been taken offline or destroyed," Thor explained grimly.

"So, we've got nothing then?" Parker asked, although it was more of a statement.

"Not necessarily. I've just come from speaking with your father and from what I understand, he and Heimdall have been able to gather some information."

"Good, we should go talk to hi-"

"No – I am truly sorry, my lady, but considering your injuries, I must insist that you rest for now. Besides, it is only a matter of time before Lord Brael comes to **you**."

"Okay, fine...you're right," Parker agreed with a sigh, knowing it was no use to argue with the god.

Loki, who had been utterly silent since the moment he had laid eyes on his brother, turned his attention to Parker momentarily, quickly bidding her farewell as he took on the form of a guard and stalked out of the room with his older brother at his heels.

The door clicked shut behind them as they stepped out into the corridor and the raven haired god could feel Thor's eyes at the back of his head, staring at him.

"Brother...," Thor's low voice came.

Loki turned on his heel, offering his brother a tight smile.

"So nice of you to join us, Thor," He sneered before turning and continuing on his way.

"Loki, I am sorry I wasn't ther-"

"Your apology is unnecessary. Your assistance was not required, clearly- the girl is alive and all is well, but I must know, did anybody _see_ you?"

"No," Thor answered, shaking his head lightly, "Lord Brael made certain of it."

"Good."

"Are you sure that all is well, brother? You seem -"

"Agitated? Yes, if you had been stuck with that ridiculous woman for an extended period of time, you'd be a bit terse as well," Loki interjected.

"And here I thought that you two were beginning to get along."

The comment set Loki's teeth on edge.

"Do not mistake my tolerance for tenderness, brother."

"Of course not, that would be absurd," Thor responded before coming to a stop, allowing his younger brother to continue on unaccompanied.

* * *

You don't really appreciate the crisp taste of fresh air until you've been without it – hell, Parker would have argued that air had no taste until she tried to go for a walk in outer fucking space. It's refreshing, cool – kind of like lettuce, maybe? She didn't know, it's hard to describe, but either way, the first chance that she had to get out of that musty room and out into the open, she took it.

She didn't go far – just outside of her room, in fact, where she found a spot to sit on the ledge of a massive arched window. Her father had finally found time to come see her, taking a seat across from her on the ledge and offering her a warm smile. She had expected a hug or something, but he didn't reach for her – he was probably afraid he'd hurt the girl or something. She didn't blame him.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" He asked gently.

"Better," Parker said with a content sigh, "I'm alive, you know? And you're here, and Darwin's here...things are pretty good right now, considering..."

"Yeah, I saw that little furball when Thor came through. It was nice of him to grab him for you..."

"Yeah," She responded flatly.

Parker knew it was stupid to be upset with Thor, but she couldn't shake it out just as fast as everyone wanted her to. She realized that it wasn't his fault, that he got caught up in some pretty serious stuff, but every time when she went to move and she felt the ache from having been beaten to a pulp, a wave of resentment washed over her. It would quickly subside, but she couldn't help but feel it. Knowing that his whole trip had been in vain, knowing that he could have just as well have stayed with them and perhaps have prevented their run-in with the Enchantress...it just felt like adding insult to injury.

"You cannot stay mad at him forever, Parker. You know it wasn't his fault."

"I know," She conceded, "I know it's not...I should probably apologize or something, huh?"

"I'll ground you if you don't," He joked.

Parker laughed and rolled her eyes at his threat before speaking.

"It just sucks that he didn't find anything..."

"Yeah, well, your dad's got your back, kid," My father replied with a quick wink, "We've got some leads for you – nothing on this Taneleer Tivan figure, but we've got some stuff on a couple others. Firstly, it would appear that a small creature has come into the possession of a nifty, orange gem. We don't quite know where the little bugger is, but we know that he tends to travel with an entourage, so it'll just be a matter of time before we can hone in on him or one of his buddies. From what we can tell, he's not allied with Thanos and he may not even know what, exactly, it is that he's got. Second, we came across a man in New York who we believe may be in possession of the Soul Gem. We think that he may be studying it. I'd say that's where you should start once you're ready."

"You mean 'we', right? Not just me?" She asked.

"Sweetheart...," My father sighed, "There's a lot going on right now. A lot that needs tending to – Thor has things that he needs to take care of and..-"

"And Loki?"

"I think it might be best that you two go your separate ways for now."

"Why?" Parker demanded.

"Because you're getting sweet on him, Parker. Now, I love that boy as if he were my own, but he's...he's a complicated guy, an _angry_ guy, and I don't know that he has it in him anymore to let anyone in, and I also don't know if you would like what you'd find if he did."

"I'm not...getting 'sweet' on him, dad...Jesus," She muttered after a moment of silence.

Parker honestly did not know how to respond to the accusation at first, mostly because she was not entirely sure that what he was saying was not true.

"Sure...whatever you say, Chipmunk."

* * *

Parker's father stayed with her for a few hours, just talking and laughing with his daughter. It was nice. It was almost normal. But eventually, he had to leave. Parker knew he would have to go at some point, nevertheless she did her best to try to convince him to stay, though it didn't work out in her favor. She just didn't want to be alone...

Yet there she sat, alone, on the ledge of that massive window, staring out into the city below. It was a beautiful day outside - the sun was warm and bright, the wind was gentle and cool. It was peaceful, a stark contrast to the foreboding she felt inside. It was proving to be nearly impossible, to truly swallow the panic, the pain – it kept creeping up on her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

The young woman closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, though the action did little to calm her nerves. Those feelings had been tormenting her for longer than she cared to admit, even presenting themselves in the form of hideous dreams while she was unconscious. It was like there was no escape from them there, until suddenly, they just stopped. The break was incredibly welcomed, and she took that opportunity to try to bury her fear and her pain, but she supposed once she had woke, it was only going to be a matter of time before she would again have to face the reality of things.

That's why she had tried to hold on so tightly to Loki, to her father. That's why she tried to make them stay for as long as possible – she sought comfort in her companions. They seemed to be the only thing that could occupy her mind enough to keep her thoughts from straying into those dark places. Having someone around made her feel more like herself, like maybe she was okay, but the moment that she was on her own...she just fell apart inside.

And she would be facing more days on her own, her father had made that clear enough. Thor nor Loki would be accompanying her back to Earth once the time came. Parker would have to travel to New York and find this man – what was his name? Strange? - alone.

The girl let out a sigh, turning my her to look as she heard a group of people walking by. It was a few young women – late teens, she would guess – outfitted in fine dresses, their hair all beautifully braided and done up. She fidgeted uncomfortably as they approached, suddenly becoming painfully aware of how wretched she must have looked in comparison. At that moment, Parker just wanted to disappear into the stonework. The girls were chatting giddily amongst themselves, and she had hoped that they would continue to do so, completely overlooking her, shall we say, disheveled self sitting just a couple feet away. She would have no such luck. One of the girls, a brunette, fixed her sight on her. Parker could _feel _her eyes comb over her until they stopped at the red lettering on her chest, and then she heard it.

The little bitch laughed.

Parker flicked her eyes their way just long enough to see her nudging her friends, bringing her evidently _hilarious_ scar to their attention so that they could have a laugh as well. And they did.

"_Mongrel_ – How fitting!" The brunette exclaimed.

"A suitable title, indeed," Agreed her golden haired friend with a smile.

"What a pathetic girl. A disgrace, really." She heard one of them utter as they continued on their way.

Parker would be lying if she said that their words did not hurt, but above all, she was livid. She was physically shaking with anger as their laughter echoed through the hall. Abruptly, their giggles turned to shrieks and the petite redhead whipped her head around to see what had happened.

All of their pretty little dresses had gone up in flames.

Purple flames.

She knew she should have been disgusted with herself...but in that moment, she wasn't.

In that moment, Parker laughed.

* * *

Loki had never been much of a drinker. He greatly preferred to be in control of his words, of his line of thought. As ironic as it may have been, the God of Lies was inherently distrustful of others and would not allow them the opportunity to gain the upper hand if he had the ability to do so. So, even though he found himself tucked away into the shadowy corner of a musty old tavern, he held no desire to partake in the festivities, instead he opted to watch the merriment of the fools around him. He enjoyed listening in on their conversations, getting the dirt on other people. He also got a kick out of scaring the bejesus out of the drunkards – turning their ale into snakes, forcing the chair out from beneath a man with the mere twitch of his finger. It was good fun for the God of Mischief, and no one hardly would take any notice of him.

He had spent the majority of his day in the library, reading about nothing in particular. He had really retreated to that room, in particular, simply to escape Thor. He was not quite feeling up to a fight, and unfortunately that was all he had to offer his brother, so when the sun began to set and he grew bored of his books, Loki set off into the city before coming to his current spot, situated in the corner of the tavern. "People Watching", he believed Parker had referred to it once. Yes, the term was quite accurate.

The door of the building flew open, smashing again the wall loudly as a portly gentleman with wild, mud-colored hair stepped inside. Loki watched as the man pushed his way through the crowd before coming to sit with a heavy **thud **at a table a few feet away from the trickster. There the older man sat with two other men, appearing to be about equal in age.

"Bjorn! How are you, my friend?" One of the men greeted the portly fellow.

"Not well, my friends, not well at all," Loki heard him reply.

The young god rolled his eyes. What could possibly be troubling the oaf – perhaps a shortage of his favorite mead?

"Something's happened to my little girl – to my sweet Astrid," The man continued.

"No – what's happened? Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes, yes – they say she might have a couple scars but she'll be fine, but something...or someone _burned _her."

"Burned her?" His friends asked.

"Indeed. She told me that somehow, her dress just...caught fire. Poof." The man said, making an exploding gesture with his chubby little hands.

"How's that?"

"I don't know, boys. I don't know. And the flames...she said the flames, they were _purple_."

Loki froze for a moment – that sounded like... - but no. No, she wouldn't. She'd never...Would she? The God of Mischief carefully made his way over to the table, tapping the man on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, but I could not help but overhear what happened to your daughter. I would like to offer my deepest apologies, as it is never easy to see one's child in pain." Loki spoke, sounding so sincere it could have almost fooled the Liesmith himself hadn't he known better.

"Well, thank you, sir. That is very kind of you to say."

"I would also like to ask a question, if you will indulge me."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Where was your daughter when this _terrible_ incident took place?"

The man explained, to the best of his ability, where his daughter had said she had been when her and apparently a couple of her friends had been 'attacked'. Loki's lips formed a tight line as he thanked the man and faked another apology before turning and quickly exiting the dark tavern.

* * *

Loki stepped inside of Parker's chambers, disregarding the courtesy of 'knocking-before-entering' in his rage. How could she be so careless? So _stupid_?

"Parker!" He practically barked upon seeing her bed empty.

There came no reply.

He continued on, poking around the room before he heard a soft sob come from the attached restroom. He marched over, coming to a stop in the doorway before peering inside of the small space, finding Parker standing there. Her head was hanging, shoulders slumped as she stood in front of the mirror, her tiny hands gripping tightly at the counter top as she shook softly.

The raven haired god took in a deep breath as he contemplated what he should do. He was upset with her childish, impulsive actions, yet he was wise enough to know when it was simply not a good time. He figured that perhaps it would be a better idea to leave and address the issue later – Loki did not do well with crying women, and furthermore, the woman that stood before him was wearing nothing but a slinky nightdress. The thin, black material blanketed her body in the most flattering way, highlighting the beautiful tone of her skin and accentuating all of her best features. The garment was trimmed with emerald lace and was just long enough to cover her most intimate areas – it left very little to the imagination as the god found himself unable, or unwilling, to tear his eyes away.

"Parker," He called for her again, much more gently than before, "What is the matter?"

The girl turned her attention to him, looking almost startled. She hadn't known he was there. She instantly started wiping away at her face as her cheeks began to flush.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I'm fine," She insisted.

"Are you certain? Because I believe that there are a few girls in the healing room who would beg to differ."

Parker's eyes fell to her feet.

"I know...I know. I'm sorry. They just...they laughed at me, at my scar, and I got upset...and I just...it just kind of happened and..." She stopped for a moment, running a hand through her messy, red hair.

"I think I'm losing it, Loki."

"Mm, well – at least you're in good company, then, yes?"

She let out a small laugh as she wiped at her face again.

"Yeah, I guess I could look at it that way."

"Something about lemons and lemonade, or whatever you Midgardian's say," Loki jested.

"Yeah," She giggled softly.

Silence fell between the two of them for a moment before Loki spoke.

"So what is it? What's really bothering you, child?"

Parker sighed and lightly ran her fingertips over the red markings on her chest.

"_Everything," _She breathed, "And this stupid thing, I suppose..."

"It is only a _word_, Parker."

"Yeah, I know that but...who the _hell _is ever going to want a girl with such an ugly mark just...fuckin'...right there for the whole fucking world to see?"

"Is that what this is all about, then? You're worried that men won't find you attractive because you've been marked? Parker, Please – that is ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Yes. It Is. You are a ravishing young woman and I am certain that there are plenty of men who would _kill_ to have you, and count themselves lucky for the opportunity to do so."

"Would you?" She asked.

The question caught Loki entirely off guard.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would you have me? Scars and all?" She spoke softly.

He was not prepared to have this conversation, not in the slightest. His eyes quickly flicked up and down, looking her over before he wet his lips with his tongue and spoke.

"I have a severe aversion to personal relationships," He replied tightly.

"Fine – no relationship, just two people. Would you have me then?"

Loki quickly caught her meaning, clearing his throat before responding.

"This is not a conversation we should be having."

"Why not?"

"You know damn well why not," He spat.

"I'm not asking you to fuck me, Loki."

The god swallowed thickly, feeling himself stir at her vulgar words.

"No," He started, "You're just asking if I _would_. I understand that you are feeling a little insecure, right now, Parker, but -"

"But nothing."

Loki turned his eyes to the ground. This girl was going to be the death of him.

"Yes," He answered tightly.

"What?"

"Yes...I would have you given half the chance," He repeated, lifting his gaze to meet hers.

She tore her eyes away, her cheek burning red with his words as she bit nervously at her lower lip. He simply continued to stare at her, feeling his lust growing, a fiery pit low in his stomach, spreading downwards.

"Well, thanks...I guess," She finally responded, taking a few steps towards him.

"You're welcome."

"But how do I know that you're not lying?" She asked softly as she came to a stop, their bodies separated by mere inches.

The raven-haired man let out a hot, breathy chuckle before leaning in close to the woman, eyes narrowed.

"You aren't trying to seduce me, are you, girl?"

The woman withdrew, slowly taking a few steps back as though she had suddenly lost her nerve. Loki quickly closed the gap she had created with one step.

"Because if you are," He continued, his voice a low growl, "You would do well to remember that I am not a good man, I am an _opportunist_. I will take what I desire, given the chance, regardless of your..._motives._"

Parker trembled noticeably under his hard gaze before mustering up the courage to speak.

"Would you really?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Then prove it."

Their lips met in a fervent kiss, much bolder than the one they had shared before, as he pulled her small body against his. She wrapped her thin arms around his shoulder and pressed herself to him, reveling as she brushed against his obvious arousal.

Loki pulled away, but just barely, as they both struggled to catch their breath.

"You don't want to do this," He panted.

Parker tightened her grip on the god, and in an instant they were on her bed. She hovered over him, a leg on each side as she smiled down at him.

"Yes. I do."

She brought her lips to his, her kiss much softer, much more tender than his had been. Loki groaned. This was going to happen.

He smoothed his hand down her shoulders, dragging the thin straps of her nightdress with them as he slowly peeled the garment from her body.

Again, Loki broke the kiss, this time to feast his eyes on her bare form. He reached out and cupped her breast before letting his hand fall, his fingertips dancing over her tight, flat stomach, earning him a whimper from the woman.

The god impatiently shed his own clothing with a quick wave of his hand before rolling and pinning Parker to the bed.

"We do not have much time," He breathed.

"I know."

"So, let's not waste any of it, yes?" He spoke as he ran a long finger across her center, finding that she was already very ready for him.

Parker simply nodded her head in response, her mind too clouded with need to form words. The trickster grinned at her answer as he slowly pushed one of his long digits into her slit, the feel of her warmth against his skin caused his manhood to throb, aching to slip inside.

He gently pushed inwards, rubbing at her walls, before pulling back out of the small woman. She whimpered and raised her hips in response, looking for more, though she knew Loki would not give it to her unless it was on his terms. He continued this for what felt to Parker like hours, though it was merely only a few short minutes before he pulled his hand away from her wetness.

He leaned in, his giant form eclipsing the small amount of light in the room, as he pressed his lips softly against hers. He positioned himself at her entrance as he deepened the kiss, tracing his tongue across Parker's bottom lip as if requesting an invitation. As her mouth opened slightly in response, he pushed himself inside of her, his breath hitching as he felt her heat envelope him. The small woman whimpered and moaned as he pressed further, her womanhood contracting violently around him as it struggled to accommodate his size.

Before long, he was buried to the hilt in the body of his apprentice, the daughter of his mentor, and the god could recall no sweeter sensation. His gaze locked with hers as he began to pump slowly in and out, grinding his teeth as he fought the urge to spill himself. Her youth and limited experience with the act had been made apparent to Loki as he had felt her tightness wrap around him. He knew he would not be able to last terribly long.

With a great deal of self-control, the God of Mischief kept himself at a reasonable, gentle pace as Parker's body adjusted to him, but the moment he knew that she had, he pushed into her roughly, earning a lust-filled scream from his partner. She knew that he was showing her how the rest of their coupling was going to be, and she had longed for it.

Almost as if a switch had been flipped, Loki began thrusting himself into Parker's heat roughly, frantically, and they became more and more demanding by the minute. He ran his large hands down her body, palming her breasts before coming to grip her hips as he continued to drive himself into her relentlessly. Parker cried out in ecstasy, feeling herself slip over the edge. She quickly brought a hand up to cover her mouth, muffling the sound of her pleasure, but the god harshly, greedily, tore the hand away. He wanted to hear her.

"Loki," His name fell from her lips in a feminine moan.

He had just barely heard it over his heart pounding in his ears and the sound of flesh meeting flesh that echoed off of the walls, but it was enough. He pumped furiously into Parker's small body as he felt his manhood grow, and a moment later he spilled his seed deep within her, letting out a loud groan as he finished.

He collapsed atop of the woman and they simply remained there for a moment, panting and sweating on the bed, before Loki regained his good senses and felt the weight of his most recent action. He could have possibly just destroyed what had been a perfectly good relationship – the only good one that he had had in a long time...with anyone. He certainly did not want a real relationship with her, but having just one person who trusted and cared for him was not something he had experienced since Frigga passed. Now, she could want something more, that he was not willing to give her, or perhaps even worse, she could want nothing of him at all

After a moment, he stood, breathing heavily as he dressed himself with another quick wave of his hand. He gazed down at the beautiful woman he had just taken and ran a hand through his long, inky hair.

Parker sat up, her eyes darting around the room before finally meeting Loki's.

Neither one of them knew what to say.


	14. Chapter 14

Hindsight is always 20/20, at least that's what everybody likes to say, and they're right. Hindsight _is _always 20/20 – it's easy to see what we should have done after we've already messed everything up – but even knowing that, hearing those words...it doesn't soothe the pain of knowing what you should have done but didn't. Hindsight...it's nothing but an ugly reminder of where you went wrong...

And Parker seemed to be doing a whole of wrong – taking opportunities that she shouldn't have taken and missing the ones that she should have. _Pathetic._

Ugh, no. Nope.

She shook her head lightly, as if it would help toss his voice out of her head. It was becoming very irritating – she couldn't even think to herself or say certain words without hearing them as they would roll off of his silver tongue. She had hoped that having gone a while without hearing his voice, that the memory of what it sounded like would start to fade, but it hadn't yet – though she supposed that a couple of weeks without his presence could not erase a couple of _months_ of having him at her side.

_Jesus..._

Had it already been that long? It was hard to believe – it had been over two months since this thing started, since she started this fun little dance with the Gods...and they had gotten virtually nowhere.

_Good job._

Parker let out a sigh as she looked up and drank in the beauty before her. Central Park truly was a sight to see, and a great place to simply sit on a bench and wait, as she had found herself doing. The morning after her little..._encounter _with a certain war criminal, her father had come to her, insisting that she follow him. He led me to the Observatory and explained to her that he knew about what had happened with the girls, though he wouldn't reveal who had told him. He went on to say that considering the nature of the incident and the fact that Loki "wasn't there", that the next logical suspect would likely be her, and that it would probably be best to just be..._away_.

She wasn't going to fight with him...she knew that she'd have to leave eventually and that when the time came, she'd be leaving by herself, so she just went with it. More than that, though, she wasn't sure if she would have the nerve to face Loki again after what had happened. That night, he had left without saying a thing, without as much as a backwards glance, without..._anything. _Not that she was looking for something, but she wasn't quite sure how she should feel about that, or whether she should feel anything at all for that matter. She didn't really blame him for how he left - what was there to say? Why try to make conversation? Why try to make it more than what it was?

"_Because you're getting sweet on him, Parker," __Her_ father's voice echoed in her head, and she cringed at his words.

"I know...," She murmured, squeezing the small blue notebook that she had in her hands as the weight of that admission sunk in.

_I know_. And she thought that she had known for a while. Even going back to the first time they had ever crossed paths, when she had stumbled into him like an idiot in the streets of London...even after she had realized who he was – the man from her nightmares...she was terrified, yes, but intrigued as well. She felt this kind of connection there, when her eyes had met his for the first time, that was...ineffable. She had a fistful of reasons to hate the God of Mischief, and yet the more time that she spent with him, the more difficult that had become – there was something drawing her to this man and she couldn't sever it no matter how badly she wanted to.

Parker pressed her eyes shut as she drew in a deep breath.

_Stop that. It will do you no good. You know where you need to go, now go. _

"Right," She muttered to herself as she stood and started on her way.

She did know where she needed to go: an alleyway between a pizza place and a bar...

Evidently, Dr. Stephen Strange was having a rough go of things, too.

* * *

It did not take Parker terribly long to find where Strange was said to be staying – a narrow space between two buildings, speckled with a few people and makeshift shelters. Towards the very back, she found a tattered, gray tent with a dirty black backpack and sleeping-bag inside, but she found no sign of the Doctor anywhere.

"Hey, miss – you shouldn't be nosin' around in there. That guy...the Doc...he's the real surly sort, ya know?" A small voice called out to her.

The girl turned to see a thin old woman sitting with her back resting against the building behind her.

"The Doc?" She asked, "Doctor Strange? Stephen Strange?"

"Yeah, think that's what he said his name was...you know him?"

"Not particularly," Parker admitted, "Is he around?"

"Hmm...seems not, but he couldn't have gone too far, I don't think."

"Well, I just need to take a look inside here, if that's alright," She spoke softly.

"You're not stealin' nothin' are ya?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Well, I'd suggest that you do whatever you're doin' quick – you don't want him to find you sniffin' around his stuff..."

"Right," She smiled, "Thank you."

Parker cautiously entered the small tent, bringing a hand to her face as a wall of stench crashed into her, assaulting her senses. There had to be something rotten _real _close by. She took a seat in the corner of the tent and reached out, taking hold of the old backpack. She pulled it into her lap and carefully unzipped it, scanning the contents within – a few cans of baked beans, some newspaper, gauze, peroxide...

And no stone.

She sifted through the contents of the bag again and again, but it simply wasn't there.

"Son of a bitch," The girl muttered before turned her attention to the only other thing in the small space.

She crawled over and began patting down the sleeping-bag when suddenly, the flap to the tent was pulled back and a large shadow was cast over her.

Parker froze and before she knew it, she was on her back with trembling hand wrapped firmly around her throat.

It was him. She may have been struggling to breathe, but her eyes were working perfectly fine. His eyes were cold and gray, his hair was black as night except for near his temples, where it had gone white – This was Stephen Strange.

"Lookin' for somethin'?" He growled.

She tried to shake her head, but being pinned to the ground by the neck had made performing such an action rather difficult.

"No," She managed to squeak out, "No, I'm not trying to – I'm a friend-"

"What kind of scum gets caught trying to rob a man and then calls themselves a friend?"

"I'm not...I'm not..."

Parker wasn't having this argument. She pressed her eyes shut and when she opened them, she was staring at the man's back.

He spun and gave her a once over with his eyes – he didn't appear to be awfully surprised at her ability, and he certainly wasn't impressed by it.

"Cute trick," He mocked, "You've got thirty seconds to tell me who you are and what the hell you want before I show you what _real_ magic can do."

"My name is Parker, I'm friends with Thor -"

"Thor? What – that Asgardian?"

"Yeah."

"Jesus..."

"Look, I just – I just have a question, okay?" Parker spat out, stumbling over her words.

"Oh, you've just got a question, do you? Well -"

"Please, sir. Can we just...can we not fight?"

"You come here, go through my shit, and -"

"I know!" She interjected, "I know that if fuckin' looks bad but _please – _this is important. I just need to ask you a question, and I need you to give me an honest answer and then...then I'll get out of your hair and we can just move on, okay? I am just **so **sick of fighting, so could you please..._"_

The man turned his eyes to his feet for a moment before bringing them back up to meet hers, his gaze softened.

"Out with it then," He said.

"You had a stone, a purple one...what happened to it?"

Strange shifted uncomfortably at her words.

"How'd you know about the stone?"

"It's complicated."

There was another moment of silence between them before he spoke again.

"Yeah, I had it. It was stolen a few nights ago."

"Stolen...," She repeated,"Who? How?"

"Look, kid...I had had a few drinks and someone came up and knocked me on my ass and took it...not my finest moment..."

"Did you get a look at them?" Parker asked.

"Yeah, but the coward kept changing..."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb with me, girl. You've got the gift, too – that much is obvious. Don't pretend that you don't know what that means."

She did know...as much as she didn't want to accept it.

"A shapeshifter..." Parker said under her breath.

"Had to be. You wouldn't happen to know of one, would you?"

She did. Of course she did – probably the only shapeshifter in the universe who knew that Strange was in possession of the Soul Gem, and who had plenty of reason to seek it out for himself.

But no – he wouldn't...Why?

_Because then there is only two, and he knows where to look for them both..._

"No," Parker breathed, desperately trying to bury the pain and fight back the tears.

"I'm sorry? Is something wrong?" Strange asked, noticing her intense reaction.

"Please, excuse me – I'm sorry...so sorry," She sputtered as she stumbled out of the tent and quickly made her way back to the street.

Parker tried telling herself that she was making a mountain out of a mole hill, that she was overreacting and jumping to conclusions. She tried to tell herself that she shouldn't assume the worst, but deep down, she knew better, and she couldn't lie to herself.

"Loki," She whispered, "What are you doing?"

* * *

The rainbow bridge glimmered in the distance, it's colorful, pulsating light dancing against the darkness of night as the God of Mischief admired from one of many expansive balconies that the golden palace boasted. He would leave tonight, he decided – he needed to. He knew it would only be a matter of time before someone else would catch wind of the small creature in the Keystone Quadrant who had managed to get his hands on a very important stone.

And that stone would be _his_, soon enough – he would make sure of it, even if it did require him to travel to an unfortunate piece of rock inhabited by lunatics, a planet by the name of Halfworld.

The raven haired god cast his eyes down, watching as he carefully rolled a small, purple gem in a circular motion across the palm of his hand. The Soul Gem. Certainly not the most powerful of the Infinity Stones, at least not in his opinion, but still invaluable nonetheless. It would serve him well, should such an occasion arise that he need to use it, but there was only one Infinity Stone that truly held his interest.

All of the things that he could change with just a silly little rock...

"Can't sleep?" A familiar, gruff voice called from behind him, pulling the man from his thoughts.

He turned and offered the older god a smile, one that was not returned by the Master of Magic.

"No, I suppose not," Loki answered, "It would seem that you are having some difficulty as well, yes?"

"Yeah," Brael responded lowly as he approached, stopping as he came to stand in front of his former pupil, "Yeah, I can't sleep either. Got a lot on my mind, ya know?"

"Mm, yes. I imagine it must be terribly painful for you...to see your daughter on the brink of death and then to have to send her off to face possibly the same fate...this time alone -"

"I'd watch it if I were you, boy," Brael warned, "You may have saved Parker's life, and I'll always be grateful for that, but don't think that it'll stop me from kickin' your ass."

"Of course, my apologies."

"You know," The older man started, ignoring Loki's words, "I haven't seen you much these past few days."

The God of Mischief felt an icy wave wash over him. So _that _was what this was about. He had to admit, for a man who had been out of practice for the past two decades, Brael definitely had not lost his touch – not much got passed him, and Loki found it equally as irritating in adulthood as he had as a child.

"We've all been quite busy," Loki reasoned.

"Sure."

A long few minutes passed before either one of the men spoke.

"I am going to leave, Brael. Tonight."

"You're not going after her."

"You're right. I'm not. I mean to search for this...creature," Loki explained.

"Rocket."

"Pardon?"

"Rocket," Brael repeated, "That's his name."

"Charming," Loki responded uninterestedly.

"You know that place is full of crazies, don't you?"

Loki grinned but said nothing.

"Well...if you're gonna go, you'd better get to it. I'm not gonna stop you."

The young god simply gave the man a nod in response before turning on his heel and heading off into the darkness, Brael's eyes glued to his back until he could no longer see him.

The Allfather's Sorcerer turned his gaze to the magnificent rainbow bridge, following it out towards the massive, spherical Observatory in the distance as he let out a quiet sigh.

"You're gonna make me kill you, aren't you?" He whispered to himself.

All of those years spent training with the boy, supporting him and watching him grow – Brael loved Loki as his own, but he couldn't help but see the terrible truth...

He was running out of options.

* * *

Stephen Strange was not quite sure what to do as he watched the distraught young red head hurry away from him and disappear around the corner. She knew something, that much was painfully obvious, but he was not certain that he cared enough to pursue her.

He knew that the stone had been something special, indeed. From what he could tell it had immense mystical power and in the wrong hands, could do great harm, but why did that have to be his problem? He had been incredibly upset upon losing the gem, but at the same time he figured that perhaps it was better that he did. Maybe it was best that someone else have it, someone else who might have the capabilities to make good use of it and wouldn't try to pawn it off for a drink if he was having a particularly bad night.

But it occurred to him, as he watched the horror and the pain that had crossed that small woman's face, that maybe...maybe he had allowed the object to fall into even less favorable hands than his own.

The Doctor let out a sigh of frustration.

"Are you gonna go after her?" Came the tiny, quivering voice of the old woman who also inhabited the alleyway.

"Mind your damn business, Milly," He grumbled as he started down the narrow passage, headed towards the street.

"She seems nice!" He heard her call from behind him as he rounded the corner.

This was not how he wanted to spend his day.

* * *

The girl hadn't gone far.

As Strange rounded the corner, he had caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, seated at a booth inside of the bar.

"_Good," _He thought, _"Could use a drink anyway..."_

He entered the business, and scanned the room – there were two, maybe three others in there besides the girl and himself. He strolled up to the bar, plunging his shaking hand into his pocket before dumping a fistful of change onto the counter.

"I'll take the strongest drink that that'll get me."

The thin man behind the bar looked at him for a second before reaching off to the side and handing him a dark, reddish-brown bottle.

"Thanks," He grumbled as he turned and made his way across the bar, sliding in and taking a seat across from Parker.

Her eyes were glued to the table, as if something in the wood grain had become incredibly interesting to her.

"So...it's a personal thing, isn't it?" He asked.

"I'm sorry?" Parker responded quietly, lifting her gaze to meet his.

"This thing or whatever it is that you've got goin' on with this little shapeshifter of ours...you know who it is, and you two are close, aren't you?"

"Yeah...I guess you could say that," She answered shyly.

"Alright," He said after a moment, "Well...based off of your reaction back there, I'd say that you didn't see it comin'...so...who betrayed you, miss...uhhm -" He trailed off, struggling to recall her name.

"Parker."

"Right...Was it a friend?"

The girl was silent, flicking her eyes to the side to look out of the nearby window.

"A boyfriend?" He pressed on.

"Can we not talk about this?"

"I think you know that we need to."

Her posture wilted as she let out a heavy sigh and locked eyes with him again.

"He's...," She started, pausing as she realized she was unsure of how to label her relationship with the trickster, "It's complicated."

"Please explain," He encouraged.

"I dunno...it's a long story and it's just -"

"Try."

"He's...he's Thor's brother. His name is Loki, he's a sorcerer...he's done some pretty hateful things..."

"Mm, so I've heard."

"We met in London. He thought that I knew something that I shouldn't and took me captive because of it...eventually Thor and I ended up coming back here to Earth with him...he helped me with my abilities, we got friendly -"

"And you fell in love with him?"

She physically winced at the word.

"No," She responded tersely, "Nothing like that. I allowed him to get much closer than I ever should have, but it was nothing...serious. Not in that way. No. Never."

Strange merely nodded. He made a mental note of the girl's excessive use of the word "no", though he was wise enough to know that it was likely not a good idea to push the issue. He felt that all things considered, perhaps it would be best to allow her to remain in denial – perhaps, if things were truly as grim as they seemed, it would be easier for her if she kept telling herself "no".


	15. Chapter 15

Somebody once said that, "When you're in love, there is this denial button you just switch on, and everything is good for a while," - Parker had heard those words so long ago, and she had understood them at the time, but it was not before meeting the God of Mischief that those words would finally carry any meaning for her. After Strange had thrown out the dreaded "L" word, she was having a hell of a time trying to occupy her mind, or else she would finding it dwelling on that word and that quote that she had heard years before.

It is difficult to see the ones that you love for who they truly are sometimes, even when all of the evidence is pointing in a definitive direction – maybe it is just part of human nature, but it would seem that we always try to excuse our loved ones actions and try not to assume the worst of them, no matter the situation. We try to find any reason that we can to keep believing in them, even when they've given us every reason not to, and we try to give them every opportunity to redeem themselves regardless of how many times they've spat in our faces for it...

Parker knew who Loki was, she knew the ugliness that lived within him, and yet she had turned a blind eye to it anyway. She had allowed him to creep in and get close to her, she had allowed herself to care for someone that she had every reason to believe would betray her...She allowed herself to actually trust in a man who's alias' include "Silver Tongue" and "Lie Smith". Why? Parker kept asking herself over and over again – Why? It was not as if she hadn't known any better. The only possible reason that she could gather was that she had believed him simply because she **wanted** to. But why did she want to?

Was it love?

The woman shook the thought from her head – why should she let the words of a man she had just met hold so much weight? Why should she allow such an absurd idea to bother her to such an extent? Surely, Parker had grown to care for the God of Mischief, but the man had trained her – saved her life, even – it was entirely reasonable to feel _something_ for him. Simply caring about somebody does not equate love.

Again she shook her head, turning her eyes to the textured ceiling of the hotel room as she forced herself to concentrate on the cottage-cheese like lumps. She had begun to count them in attempt to keep her mind occupied when Strange stepped out of the attached bathroom, a damp, purple towel draped around his waist. Parker shifted uncomfortably, not knowing where to look or what to say as the half naked man crossed the room. Strange, much like Loki, was very toned, though he was not quite as slender as the Asgardian, but the thing that she noticed most about his appearance upon emerging from the bathroom was that he had rid himself of the dirty, bushy beard that he was donning when they had met – turned out that underneath that scraggly mass of hair, the Doctor had a fairly handsome face.

Strange had been staying with Parker in the hotel room that she had checked into upon arriving in New York since they had met a couple days ago, and she couldn't really tell whether he was genuinely interested in helping or if he simply wanted a place to stay for a little while – either way, he slept on the couch and was grateful for it, and he offered advice when she asked (or even when she didn't, for that matter).

"Thinkin' about your boyfriend?" Strange quipped as he crossed the room once more, disappearing into the bathroom to dress himself.

"Shut up," Parker responded flatly.

She heard him chuckle from behind the closed door and before long, he stepped out and took a spot on the sofa.

"So, what _are _thinking about?"

"...Loki," She reluctantly admitted after a moment, "And where he may have gone."

"Go on," He encouraged.

She took a deep breath. There was a lot to explain – where do you even begin with something like that?

"Loki...he had a deal with this guy called Thanos. Thanos, from what we can tell, means to gather the six Infinity Gems, including the one that you had, and use them together with this gauntlet – if he manages to do that, then... -"

"We're just about shit out of luck?"

"Yeah, pretty much. One of the Infinity gems is being held in Asgard, and other than that we only knew of two others that were definitely not in the hands of Thanos or any one of his buddies – those two included the one that you had, the Soul gem, and another one that is believed to be in the possession of a highly intelligent raccoon by the name of Rocket, we believe he has the Reality gem...so my guess would be that Loki is pursuing him now."

"Well, then...we should probably head out, don't you think?" Strange asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah that'd be great," Parker started slowly, "Except for, you know, the whole traveling across space thing – unless, of course, that isn't an issue?"

A smug grin spread across the doctors face.

"No, it isn't."

* * *

Stephen Strange was certainly an interesting man, that much was made incredibly clear to Parker as she stepped foot onto the dark, gloomy planet of Halfworld. She knew that the doctor had gifts, but the ability to travel across space at will? If the situation had been different, she might not have been able to hide her awe. The situation being what it was, however, left Parker in such a state that she found herself unable to feel much of anything – it was as if whatever it was inside of her that drove her to _feel_ had simply shut down.

She figured it was for the best as she took a few careful steps forward. Perhaps the only distinguishable feeling that she could sense within herself was that of apprehension, fear – she pressed on regardless, telling herself that she would do whatever was necessary and that whatever that was going to be was solely in Loki's hands, not hers.

"Well," Strange started, tearing Parker from her thoughts as he took a few large steps forwards to stand next to the small woman, "I'd say that this place has likely seen better days."

"Not for a long time," She replied quietly as her eyes took in the desolation before her.

The two found themselves in the midst of a large city – or at least, it had been at one time. It reminded her of a video game that she used to play when she was a teenager – what was it called? _Fallout_? It had the look of a post-apocalyptic industrial metropolis – the huge metal structures in severe decay, bits of plant-life creeping in and starting to reclaim the land. Indeed, if that place had seen better days, it hadn't been for a very long time, which made the girl wonder why any intelligent being would choose to call it home?

The two pressed on in silence, delving deeper into the deserted city, the light sounds of their feet meeting the torn up pavement echoing through the space.

"Doesn't it seem a bit quiet to you?" Strange asked lowly after few minutes.

"Not anymore," Parker quipped in a hushed tone.

Strange rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, kid, I mean it – this place is supposed to be the Universe's own little...asylum. A planet full of crazies, right? Well, where are they? Where's the people who're supposed to be watching them?"

"Are you going to get to your point, or...?"

"My point is that it doesn't seem right. I don't like it," Strange answered.

Parker paused for a moment, considering his words before she spoke.

"Maybe there's just nobody around anymore," She replied, knowing it was a long shot.

"Maybe that's what they want us to think."

As if on Que, a high pitch scream pierced the air and the two magicians whirled their bodies towards the sound. Suddenly, a deranged, skeletal figure lunged from the shadows and tangled it's boney fingers into Parker's crimson hair.

The woman's hands flew up, latching on to the lunatics own as she began to pry at the disgustingly thin digits. She heard a loud popping noise as the man (if you could call it that) let out a second high pitch shriek and suddenly moved away from her, allowing Strange the opportunity he needed.

The moment that the creature had back far enough away from Parker, Strange struck – sending out a powerful, white blast of energy that effectively eviscerated the man. It was over in an instant.

It was also a bit more than what Parker's stomach could handle. Her body lurched and soon she found herself on her hand and knees as vomit spewed from her mouth. It had been a quick kill, sure, but it hadn't been clean by any means. The blast of energy had burst the man's body, sending chunks of flesh and bone through the air and leaving a misty cloud of blood where a person once stood.

"You gonna be alright?" He asked after a moment.

"Yeah, yeah – thanks," Parker breathed out shakily as she wiped at her lips.

"_That_ was quite a show," a silk-like voice called from the distance, mockingly, "Though in the presence of a lady, it might cause one to question your..._decorum_."

Parker froze. She knew that voice, and she had so hoped the she wouldn't find him there.

* * *

Despite all of the things that Parker hated about the God of Mischief, there had always been that one quality that he possessed that she had loved since the moment they met – since the very first time she had laid her eyes upon his striking features and he let that beautiful sound slip past his lips, she was entranced. He could feed her all of the lies in the Universe, and she would gladly listen. Parker wasn't stupid, she knew that that was the point – who would want to listen to someone dubbed "The Liesmith" otherwise? There had to be something to draw you in, right? Like a moth to the flame. Regardless, most of the time, it did not matter how unprepared or ill-equipped she was to hear his words, she still found herself wanting to hear them.

This time was different.

The warm surge that she use to feel wash through her at his voice had turned to icy splinters coursing through her veins, and she certainly did _not _want to hear what he had to say.

Parker knew what was coming – the fact that she had been right in assuming that he had come to Halfworld pointed towards a truth that she did not want to face. She wasn't ready. The girl instantly regretted allowing Strange to take them to that condemned place – she shouldn't have run head-on into that situation – she wanted it to be over with, sure, but it was not until she had heard that voice that she _felt_ again, and the whole weight of the situation came crashing down on her, like a heavy weight on her chest.

The small woman slowly pushed herself to her feet, taking a few careful steps towards Strange as she focused her eyes on the slender figure in the distance.

"Loki," His name fell so softly from her lips, she could not be sure that it had even been audible.

"That's him, huh?" She heard Strange mutter next to her.

"It's good to see you again, Parker," Loki greeted, his face unreadable, "I see that you've wasted no time in finding yourself a replacement for me, yes?"

"You didn't mention that he was the jealous type," Strange whispered.

"That's not what it's like," Parker answered, ignoring the doctors jab.

"Mm," Was the tricksters reply, "So, what brings you here?"

"I was sent to New York to find Dr. Stephen Strange and well...," She gestured over towards the man next to her, "Here he is, so I figured I would start looking for Rocket."

Loki nodded softly.

"I see. Well, you're wasting your time, love – the creature is not here, I've looked."

"Bummer," The girl answered simply, "So...where is your back-up?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, someone _has_ to be here with you – you're here because my father sent you to look for Rocket, right? He never would have sent you off on your own," She suggested, knowing perfectly well that that was not the case.

A wicked grin spread across the God of Mischief's handsome face.

"Your father may have mentored me as a child, but I have not taken direction from him since long before your time. This is more of a, shall we say, solo endeavor."

"Like New York? Was that a solo endeavor, too, you fuckin' pric-" Strange growled.

"Stephen!" Parker interrupted before he could get his last word out.

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but closed it upon hearing the awful sounds coming from the distance. Frenzied screams and howls echoed through the city, growing louder and louder as the horde of lunatics grew closer and closer.

"Seems you will be having company," Loki commented nonchalantly.

"Do you think you can handle it?" She asked Strange, referring to the oncoming swarm of deranged beings as she locked eyes with Loki.

"No offense, but don't you think that _I_ should take the big guy while you handle the loons?"

"No, I don't."

Strange let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, have it your way then."

With those words he took off, disappearing towards the sound of the shrieking maniacs.

"You can drop the charade now," Loki said, letting out a breathy laugh,"We both know that you will do me no harm."

"So you _were_ in New York?" Parker questioned, pointedly ignoring his comment.

"Perhaps."

"And you took it? You took the Soul Gem from Strange?"

The raven-haired god did not respond at first, opting instead to merely grin and stare into her eyes – she got the distinct feeling that he was sizing her up.

"Yes," He admitted after a long while, "I did."

"Why?" The woman asked without skipping a beat in spite of the pang she felt in her chest.

"Come now, Parker – you must admit that I am much more suitable to be carrying the stone than your new _friend."_

"That's debateable."

"He is a strung-out drunk, living off of the street," Loki growled.

"And you're a narcissistic sociopath with extreme homicidal tendencies – we all have our flaws."

"You wound me."

"Give me the stone," Parker demanded lowly.

The grin fell from Loki's face in an instant, his entire demeanor darkened.

"You know that that is not going to happen, love,"

"You're not going anywhere until it does."

"The only way that you will be getting this stone is by plucking it from my corpse, I'm afraid," He answered with a tight smile.

She let out a sigh, careful to keep it even – she did not need to make her weakness more evident to him, she did not need him to see her pain, her inner turmoil in that moment.

"If that's the way it has to be," She replied quietly.

Two bursts of energy emerged from the both of them, colliding in midair, creating a spectacular blast of purple and green. It happened so quickly, Parker honestly couldn't tell which of them had acted first.

The moment the remnants of their individual attacks cleared, she realized she could no longer see the trickster – he likely had taken cover between the two buildings adjacent to where he had been standing – so she took it upon herself and ducked out behind a small structure that had probably, at one time, been a garage.

She crouched there for a while, her back resting against the metal siding as she attempted to calm her nerves. In hindsight, Strange had been right – how on Earth could she have ever possibly thought that she would be okay to take on Loki? Even without the handicap of having been stupid enough to allow him to get close to her, Parker still wasn't strong enough nor was she practiced enough in magic to be able to go toe to toe with him. _Idiot._

After what felt like forever, but was in reality only a few moments, she came to the conclusion that she had to look, she had to try to figure out where he was at. She slowly, carefully peeked out from behind the structure and almost instantly regretted it. The instant that the street had come into view, Parker heard this soft whistling sound – seconds later, a familiar, double-sided throwing knife was slicing through the flesh on her cheek.

She let out a stifled scream, though it was more from being startled than the pain.

"Did that hurt, darling?" The small woman heard his voice call teasingly.

"No. You throw like a girl, by the way."

"You _scream_ like one," He said, mocking her weak insult, though the way that he had said it dripped with mischief and Parker instantly knew what he was insinuating.

She whipped herself around the corner of the structure and cast a blast of energy towards the buildings she figured Loki to be hiding between, and through the hazy, purple ball, just moments before it would have smashed into one of the old shops, the trickster stepped out.

The purple wave crashed into his chest, forcefully knocking the god onto his back as the air was forced from his lungs. He resigned to lying there on the pavement for a moment, before she saw him gingerly press his fingertips against his ribs on his right side, wincing as he did so.

Parker ducked back behind the garage and took a deep breath before turning and starting towards Loki, who was still on the ground. She was just about a foot away from him when she saw a distinct green shimmer dance across his skin. _Shit. _

Suddenly, there was a very real, very strong hand knotted in her hair, forcing her head back. She gazed up and saw the face of chaos, contorted into a feral snarl as he brought his fist down onto her nose, causing a warm gush of blood to spill out across her lips and down her chin before she fell to the ground.

Despite the shock and the severe, pulsing pain in her face, Parker recovered rather quickly and was able to roll out of the way before the angry god could join his heel with her head. She pressed her eyes shut and when she opened them, she was latched to the man's back. Wasting no time, she reached for one of the many blades that she knew him to carry and plunged it into his chest - once, twice, and a third time for good measure.

His fingers wrapped around her thin arms and before the girl could even react, she was flung through the air - she felt her ankle pop and shatter as she landed and skidded across the pavement.

Parker watched as he advanced on her – she tried pushing herself away as much as she could, but she knew that it was useless.

He pulled the blade that was left protruding from his stomach out with nothing more than a slight grimace before roughly pulling her up by the front of her shirt and pinning her to the front of a nearby building.

"Going somewhere?" He mocked, his voice uneven, his breathing labored.

She said nothing.

"It doesn't have to be this way," He continued, "I do, very much, intend for you to survive, Parker, but you must allow me to do what must be done. Do you understand?"

His words, they brought Parker nothing but rage. She could not fathom how a man could promise to be on your side, promise to gain your trust and protect and help you, but then turn around and do what he had done. There would only ever be one reason that someone like Loki would want to pursue the Infinity Gems, and that was for power. She had been stupid enough to allow him to get close to her, stupid enough to allow herself to like him ,to trust him and in that moment, in spite of the fact that he had blatantly betrayed the trust that she had given him, he still had the audacity to insist that he meant her well. She just couldn't. Fucking. Believe it.

Parker spat in his face, causing a bloody spatter to stain his porcelain skin.

His face remained emotionless as he continued to hold her gaze, and then she felt a sharp pain in her ribs as he plunged the same blade that she had used on him into her body.

"All of the things that I could do...all of the wrongs that I could right, with one. Small. Rock," He spoke lowly, "You cannot tell me that you would not do the same, were you in my position...You _will _thank me for this, Parker, one day."

The girl let out a small cry as Loki roughly ripped the blade from her and she crumbled to the ground, grasping at the wound.

"Keep pressure on that, love. You'll be fine," She heard him advise before he turned on his heel and started on his way.

She remained on the ground, pressing her palms to the wound when she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Parker?!"

She felt Strange's trembling hands gently touch her face, cradling her head and turning her to face him.

"Loki...he went that way...you should go after him...," She struggled to get the words out.

Strange's eyes found her hands, covered in red with even more saturating her shirt. He shook his head lightly.

"Sorry, kid. He's gonna have to wait."


	16. Chapter 16

How far had he fallen? How far, exactly, had the proverbial drop from celebrated neurosurgeon to homeless, back-alley doctor been? Was that something that could even be measured? Perhaps not in the traditional sense, but Stephen Strange was sure that the pile of corpses, the numerous people that he could have saved – _should have _saved – that they amounted to _something_. He just hoped that they would eventually mean something _more_ than just his own shortcomings, his failures.

The Doctor roughly shoved a handful of antibiotics into his worn, black backpack before pulling the zipper closed in one swift motion. It was not a proud moment for him, although, to be honest, he hadn't had anything to be proud of in a long time.

He had messed up so much, from relationships to...everything – he had buried himself in his career and reveled in his success for so long, that he practically forgot that anything (or _anyone_) else mattered.

But the powers that be...that fickle bitch they call fate, she took care of all that. He lost his parents, he lost his hands...

He had been so angry for so long. Hell, he would be kidding himself if he tried to say he wasn't still a little sour, but he had come to the point where he accepted that maybe...maybe he had it coming.

But that shit was going to stop. He'd be damned if he was going to keep allowing things to hold him down – he was going to build himself back up, _make _something of himself again...

And he was going to start by saving Parker Morgan.

As much as he would have loved to pummel the man who had taken the Infinity Gem from him, as soon as he had laid his eyes upon the girl - her small form curled up on the ground, blood profusely seeping from her abdomen – he knew what he had to do. So, the Doctor had taken his wounded friend up into his arms and took the both of them back to the hotel that they had been staying at in New York.

He considered taking her to the hospital, knowing that she would likely be in much more capable hands there, but Parker's protests and perhaps his own pride convinced him to do otherwise.

And that wouldn't have been a problem, except that she had started to exhibit signs of infection. By the grace of God, Strange had managed to stitch the girl up with relative ease despite the tremor in his hands, but within a couple of days he noticed that the area around the wound had turned red and was hot to the touch. It was incredibly frustrating to him, especially since he knew that it was likely due to his lack of proper equipment and supplies. He felt that that shouldn't have been an issue because he should have still been an _actual_ doctor with the ability to gain access to those items...but because of one stupid mistake, one accident, his whole life had been turned on it's head in an instant. That car accident that had left him next to useless as a surgeon...that had started his whole downward spiral.

"Get it together," Strange scolded himself under his breath – he had done more than enough obsessing over his past already. It was time to move on, and at that moment, moving on meant getting back and treating Parker's wounds.

He quietly made his way through the darkened clinic before ducking out of the back entrance, not even bothering to avoid the cameras; they weren't recording, anyway – he had seen to that.

* * *

Strange watched her, all day and all night as he had since he had brought them back from Halfworld. He sat, slouched down on the sofa, his eyes flicking back and forth from the book in his hand to the girl on the bed.

Finally, despite the absence of light in the small room, he noticed her turn her head to face him.

"How're you feeling?" He asked quietly.

"I hurt," She replied in a small voice.

"Where?"

"Everywhere."

"How would you describe the pain?" He inquired, leaning forward.

"Could you not do the doctor thing for a second?"

"What would you prefer I do?"

Parker let out a frustrated sigh.

"We should be out there doing something -" She started.

"What? Like searching for Loki? Parker, you're hurt. Badly."

"I know!" She huffed, "I know, because that's all I'm capable of. Do you know how much time in the past few months I've been just fuckin' recuperating? We don't have _time _for this – everyone wants to pretend that it's ok, that the threat isn't so imminent but...I dunno, maybe I'm crazy but I'm thinking that when the fate of the entire fucking universe is being threatened that maybe, just maybe, that's something that we shouldn't procrastinate on, you know?"

"It's not procrastination, you seriously can't do anything – not in the shape that you're in," The Doctor insisted.

Parker slid her arms back and made to push herself, but abruptly found herself unable to move.

"Is this you?" She asked.

"Yeah," He answered flatly.

"Let me go."

"If I do that, you're going to try to get up, and if you get up, you'll rip your stitches and well...I dunno how good I'll do the second time around. We were pretty lucky that I managed to get it done the first time, but...more than that, Parker, is that you have an infection."

The girl paused for a moment, not knowing quite how to respond.

"Is it bad?"

"I've seen worse...I've treated it as best I can from the outside, but I grabbed some antibiotics that I'd like you to take to help fight it off before it gets nasty."

She bobbed her head softly, acknowledging his words.

"So...you want to rethink that going places and doing things bullshit, or...?"

"No," She answered quickly, "I can't just keep sitting around, waiting to feel better every time I get a freakin' boo-boo."

Strange merely stared at her for a moment before standing suddenly.

"Okay," He replied.

"Okay...what?"

"Okay, we'll do things your way," He explained as he approached the side of the bed.

"Do you have a plan?" She asked suspiciously.

"You could say that."

* * *

The Gatekeeper stood in the center of the golden Observatory, gazing out into the stars as the old Master of Magic approached.

"What'd you need, Heimdall?" The man asked as he came to stand beside his friend.

"I beg your pardon for calling you here at such a late hour, old friend, but I did as you asked of me," Heimdall replied in his deep, resonating voice.

Brael's expression darkened.

"And what did you find?"

"I turned my gaze to Halfworld, as you requested," The Gatekeeper started, "And found Loki upon it. Searching for the holder of the Reality Gem, no doubt, but the raccoon has long since abandoned his home world. Loki left empty handed..."

There was a moment of silence between the two men.

"But...?" Brael asked, feeling that there was more to the story.

"But...not before your daughter arrived. She'd already found Stephen Strange, made allies with him...Strange used his gifts to take the both of them to Halfworld. It would seem that Parker had become suspicious of Loki as well and...they made to kill one another. Your daughter certainly injured him greatly but...she was wounded, too. I just thought you might like to know."

"Will she be alright?" Brael's question came out quietly.

"Yes, I believe so. She is in good hands with the doctor."

"And do you know where Loki's run off to?"

"Not yet, sir, but I will keep looking."

"Let me know when you find him," The old god replied darkly as he turned and made his exit from the circular structure.

Brael was seething the entire way back to the palace – that boy, that ungrateful child had made an attempt on his daughters life?! After all he had done for him, after all of the kindness and undeserved opportunities he had opted to give the boy...

The Sorcerer had thought that perhaps he had seen just the _tiniest_ glimmer of light, of hope left inside of Loki...but then, he figured, maybe that was just what he _wanted_ to see.

* * *

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Parker called out from her spot on the curb as her eyes danced across the street, searching for potential witnesses.

She didn't know what Strange was planning, but evidently it involved stealing a car and that left Parker with lookout duty, although she wasn't entirely too confidant in how effective she would be seeing as she had to sit on the sidewalk and could barely see around the vehicles and trash cans that dotted the way. And besides, in a city like New York, the kind of place that never sleeps, how could anybody NOT see them?

"Yeah, I do – now shut up," She heard Strange's muffled voice answer from inside of the small, red car.

"We're not gonna be able to pull this off, you know."

"Not with _that_ attitude, we're not. Now, seriously – shut up and pay attention out there."

Parker huffed and continued to scan the area for people. They were everywhere, of course, but none of them seemed to take notice of them. It was almost as if they had become invisible to the world around them and Parker found herself wondering whether Strange had been so confidant because he really _knew_ that they would not be caught or whether it was just his ego.

A few long moments passed before either one of them spoke again.

"Seriously," Parker started, breaking the silence, "Do you even know how to hot-wire a car?"

Not missing a beat, the engine of the vehicle came to life and Strange popped his head out of the side window.

"Sorry, what was that you were saying?" He teased.

Parker let out a small laugh as Strange approached her and carefully took her up into his arms. She had been healing much faster than another person in her condition would have, but her ankle was still far too weak for her to put weight on, and so the doctor carried and gently helped her into the back seat of the car.

"I don't see why we can't just teleport to...where ever it is that you're taking me," Parker stated as Strange took his spot in the drivers seat.

"Traveling through space like that, even when you're not going a great distance...you don't realize it, but it's pretty harsh on your body. It just wouldn't be a good idea for you in your current condition," He explained.

"Ah."

"That being said," The Doctor started again, "You should try getting some sleep. It'll help your body heal and we're gonna be driving for a while."

Parker considered saying something snarky in response, but even she had to admit that she felt drained, so she did not argue. She cautiously slide herself down and across the back seat of the vehicle and rested her head on Strange's backpack, quickly drifting off into sleep.

* * *

The subtle jerk of the car as it came to a stop rocked Parker awake. She wasn't sure how long, exactly, they had been on the road, but from what she could tell, it was now early morning – the sun was just peaking up over the horizon.

She heard the sound of the door opening up behind her and turned her head to see Strange standing there, holding out his arms and waiting.

"Come on," He spoke softly, "Time to get up."

Parker slide herself towards the man just enough so that he could reach in and wrap his arms around her, pulling her up to hold her against his chest before he gently kicked the door closed. As he turned, Parker was able to see where it was he had taken her. They had gone far from the city and stopped at the side of a rural road, surrounded by nothing but fields and the farms that tended to them off in the distance.

Strange began to carry the girl out into the middle of one of the numerous fields when she looked up at him and spoke.

"What are we doing out here?"

The Doctor smiled.

"You know, I was only half-listening when you recounted your story to me -"

"Thanks."

"But," He continued, "I _did_ manage to pick out a few important details, I think."

He came to a stop and turned his eyes down to meet hers.

"We need to talk to this All-Seeing Gatekeeper that you told me about."

"You mean, you want to go to Asgard?" Parker asked incredulously.

"Yeah."

"I don't think that their King would be too happy about that."

"I'll make it real quick," Strange pressed, "I promise."

Parker hesitated for a moment.

"Come on, Parker. I need you to call for him."

The girl opened her mouth to do as she was asked, but before any words were able to escape her lips a brilliant beam of light engulfed the two magician's and they were gone.

* * *

Strange had traveled through space on multiple occasions, and still the Bifrost proved to be a bit much for the Sorcerer. He stumbled as his feet met the floor of the golden Observatory, almost dropping Parker as he struggled to regain his balance.

"Welcome to Asgard," A deep voice greeted them as Strange stabled himself.

They turned their eyes to see the Gatekeeper as he pulled a giant sword from a slot in the ground and closed the Bifrost – next to him stood the God of Thunder himself, smiling warmly.

"It is good to see you, again, Parker," He greeted as he approached, quickly closing the distance with a couple gigantic strides.

"You, too," She responded softly.

The golden haired man analyzed the small woman, frowning at the discoloration on her face and the way she grimaced with every breath she took.

"I am truly sorry for what Loki has done to you, I promise you it will not go unpunished," He began, sounding genuinely pained by what his brother had done, "May I help you to the healing room?"

Parker bobbed her head gently and carefully reached out for the god as Strange willingly handed her over. He had seen Thor before, back in New York during the invasion, and then again on the news and in the tabloids...He knew that he was leaving Parker in good hands.

Thor gave Strange a nod, which the Doctor returned, before he turned and started out on his way.

"Thank you, Stephen!" Parker called back to him, "For...taking care of me and everything."

"Just...feel better," He replied.

He watched them until they were no longer within his sight, and it was only then that he turned his attention to the amber eyes that had been staring at him.

"Can I help you?" He asked, feeling slightly irritated.

"I am the, as you put it, 'All-Seeing Gatekeeper'," Heimdall explained.

"Oh.."

"So, Doctor...I believe the better question would be: How can _I_ help _you?"_

* * *

A day had passed before Parker woke again, feeling the edge of the bed sink down as her father took a seat beside her. She peeled her eyes open and offered Brael a smile.

"Eir must have done a good job, you look much better," Her father said, returning her smile.

"I feel much better," She replied.

Brael's smile grew at her words.

"That's good," He spoke softly, "So...would you like to hear some good news?"

"Yes, please."

She felt like a child again, asking for her father to please tell her a bedtime story.

"Thor managed to track down Taneleer Tivan, not without the help of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, I should say, but still," He started, "Either way, Tivan escaped, but they retrieved the Aether."

"That's great," Parker beamed.

Finally, _someone_ had gotten _something_ done.

"It is," Her father agreed, "But is also has made Asgard a very dangerous place to be."

"Do you think they're going to try to attack?"

"I don't know. I mean – I don't think so, I think that Thanos would try to get his shit together a little more before trying to take on Asgard but there's always a chance..."

Parker merely nodded in understanding. Silence fell between the two for a moment before Brael spoke again.

"Look, chipmunk...you should now that we kind of have a plan. It's not great, but we've all agreed that it's likely the best we've got, at least for now...We plan on finding all of the Stones that we can and bringing them back here. If they want them, this is where they'll have to come and they'll have to face all of Asgard and it's allies to get to them. It should draw attention away from everywhere else...so Earth should be relatively safe. I think it might be a good idea for you to sit the rest of this out – go back to Earth and be with your mother," Brael explained grimly.

"No," Parker's answer was immediate and definite.

"Listen to me – this was way too much to have ever been put on the shoulders of a young girl, and I am so sorry that I ever pushed you to get involved. I truly am. I should have tracked Thor down myself, not sent you to do it. I...I just shouldn't have let you do what I should have done – you don't have to be a hero, Parker. This doesn't have to be your fight. I just want you to be safe..."

_"So, you would rather hide behind your heroes than risk dirtying your own hands to save yourself, is that what I am to understand?" _

Loki's words echoed through Parkers head as she drew in a deep breath.

"You're right, Dad...this isn't my fight," She replied, "It's everyone's."


	17. Chapter 17

It's funny how quickly you can become attached to someone, given the right set of circumstances. Maybe it is simply that when you are put into a difficult situation, there is no time for the all of the bullshit, smoke screens, and walls that you have to push through when venturing into a relationship – maybe it's that those "walls", for lack of a better term, have already been broken down or have been wore so thin that when you meet someone, in that stage of life, you know who they truly are.

That was why it was so hard for Parker to let Strange go.

While she was stowed away in her room, it had been decided that Thor and Stephen would travel to some world that she'd be kidding herself if she were to say that she could ever pronounce it. Evidently, there was a prison on this world that was holding none other than the elusive, Infinity Gem holding raccoon, and Thor and Strange had a plan to break the little guy out.

It wasn't that Parker was worried about Strange – she knew that he could hold his own, he had certainly proved that on their trip to Halfworld, but nevertheless, she was apprehensive about him leaving. Perhaps it was just that she had finally found a friend, a _real_ friend, who she could rely on and who she knew would have her back, and she was not ready to give him up so quickly. She couldn't deny the sense of vulnerability she felt creep through her when she had heard the news that he would be going.

It wasn't long before she found myself standing beside her father in the beautiful Observatory of Asgard, waiting to see the two men off.

Thor stood before the opening that would soon send him through space, fidgeting with Mjolnir as Strange stood beside him, his eyes scanning his surroundings as though he wasn't entirely sure what else he should be doing.

"Be safe, boys...'n don't go breaking anything unless you have to," Brael smiled.

The God of Thunder's mouth quirked up into a small grin at the Mage's words.

"We will do our best," He assured.

"Take care, come back in one piece – both of you," Parker spoke softly.

The men nodded in the response as the Gatekeeper opened the Bifrost to them.

For some reason, she felt a tightening in her chest as she saw their two forms turn towards the brilliant light that would wisk them away, and she rushed forwards.

Parker pushed herself up onto her tip-toes and flung her arms around Strange's shoulders, pulling him to her in an embrace. He did not hesitate in returning the hug, wrapping his arms around her abdomen and resting his chin gently atop her head.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more to heal you...," He spoke so quietly that only he and Parker could hear his apology.

"Shut up," She responded, her voice muffled, "You did what you could, and...you saved my life, for Christ's sake. Just...you better come back because if I have to come after you, I'm gonna be pissed."

She smiled when she felt his chest rumble as he let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, sure. If we can't handle it, then I don't think you -"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"Okay," He laughed, "But really, we'll be fine."

They let go of one another and she stepped away. With one last smile, the pair stepped into the light and disappeared.

Parker turned her attention to her father, who she found had been staring at her, a single eyebrow arched.

"Don't. Just stop, before you even start," She warned him, knowing nothing good ever came of that look.

"I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life or anything," He started, pointedly ignoring her request, "And I understand that the heart wants what the heart wants but I just can't wrap my head around why you'd fall for a little shit like Loki when you've got a perfectly good man like the Doc on your side."

"Dad – no. We're not having this conversation. And I didn't _fall_ for Loki – not like that, anyway."

"Girl, you're so full of shit that you're eyes are turnin' brown."

"I am not," She insisted, "I seriously only met Loki like, what? Maybe three months ago? It takes longer than that to -"

"Under normal circumstances, maybe. If you ask me, that's more of a blanket statement than a fact, though. Everyone is different just as every relationship is different – you can't account for certain things and make a judgment just like that, though in my humble opinion, bitter people will tell ya just about anything to try to downplay your happiness..."

"I am not in lo -"

"I know what happened between you two, Parker," He interjected.

She felt her stomach do a flip as the blood rushed to her face at his words.

"I'm not naive enough to think that that kind of think can't happen without love, but I'd like to think that I know my own daughter pretty well, and you're just not that type of girl."

Parker remained silent. It was awkward enough to discuss such things with your parents but she knew that he was right. She wasn't that type of girl, but she wasn't ready to admit what she felt, either.

"Alright, you don't wanna talk about it – I get it, I've said what I wanted to say about that so I'll let it go for now but uh...I just had one last thing I wanted to tell you...Odin is throwing a ball tonight, trying to get everyone's spirits up and whatnot – I think you should go. Might do you good to forget about all this for a night. At least _try_ to have fun or something."

Parker nodded.

"Okay," She answered quietly, "Sounds good."

* * *

It had been _so_ long since Parker had gotten herself all beautified that, to be honest, it felt uncomfortable. She couldn't help but fidget with her hair, pull at her dress, and wipe gently at her face as she stepped through the impossibly tall archway into the enormous room where the ball was being held.

It was packed, like a giant sea of people, dancing and chatting – She immediately thought to herself that this had been a mistake. Everybody looked gorgeous and even in her dress, as nice as it was, she felt like she might as well have been wearing a garbage bag.

The redhead soon spotted an empty table tucked away into the corner of the massive room and made her way to it, taking a seat and immediately pouring herself a glass of wine.

She had never been very social, so drinking seemed like the best choice for company. That was short-lived however, as a blonde gentleman took a seat beside her.

"Hello, there," He greeted warmly, "Let's see – petite, red-hair, _gorgeous_ – you must be Parker Braeldotter."

"What?" She asked flatly.

He let out a soft chuckle.

"Pardon me, but you _are _Lady Parker,the daughter of Lord Brael, are you not?"

"Yeah, I guess that would be me," She replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," He greeted, offering her his hand, "I am Fandral – you may have heard of me?"

"Yeah, of course. It's nice to meet you, too" Parker said as she took his hand, though she wasn't entirely sure that she did know who he was. The name sounded vaguely familiar, though.

The man grinned.

"If I may ask, what is a beautiful little thing like yourself doing shoved away in a dark corner?"

"I don't like people," She answered as she took a swig of wine.

"I don't blame you," He laughed, "They can be a bit...overbearing."

That earned a chuckle from her – maybe not so much from what he was saying, but the way in which he did. Or maybe it was the alcohol.

"What would you say if I asked you to dance with me?" Fandral asked after a moment.

He must have sensed her hesitance, because he jumped right back in when she did not answer.

"All I am asking for is _one_ silly little dance, and if you do not enjoy yourself well, then...you can slap me if you'd like."

"Okay," Parker agreed, "Fine – _one_ dance."

Fandral quickly pulled the two of them out onto the floor just as a fast, upbeat tune began. It was difficult at first to mimic his movements, but he was a good teacher and she caught on soon enough. They danced – twisting, twirling, and laughing to the music before it eventually came to an end and gave way to a slower melody.

"One more?" Fandral requested with a kind smile.

Before Parker could answer him, however, her father stepped up.

"I'd actually like to take this one, if you don't mind."

Fandral gave a nod towards Brael and disappeared off into the crowd as her father wrapped one arm around his daughters waist and took her hand in his. They began to sway softly as they danced.

Parker couldn't help but stare at him – something felt...off, but she couldn't place her finger on it. She kept her gaze locked on his face until she saw it – a shimmer. It was so slight and had disappeared so quickly that she could not have been 100% sure that it had really even happened.

"Who are you?" She asked anyway, following her gut.

A grin spread across her father's lips at her words, like she had just told a funny joke.

"Do not make a scene," He spoke lowly.

"Then tell me who you are," Parker demanded quietly through gritted teeth.

His grin turned menacing as her father's form gave way to the God of Mischief – dressed in a suit, of all things. In spite of the rage and disdain that she held towards him, she couldn't help but acknowledge that he cleaned up rather well.

The woman immediately tried to pull away from him, but only succeeded in forcing the God to tighten his hold on her, pressing her against his solid form.

"Hello, Parker – you look well," He greeted as she struggled against him.

"Fuck you," She spat, "You are in _such_ deep shit, Loki – you don't even know."

"Am I? Do you realize that no one here can see nor hear us? They are entirely oblivious to what is happening right under there noses..."

Parker said nothing, opting instead to simply glare at the trickster.

"Imagine _all_ the things that I could do to you – _right_ _here_, _right_ _now_ – and **none** of them would ever know," He hissed.

"What do you want?"

"Now, if I told you that, you could go running to daddy and that would...complicate things, and I'd greatly prefer that this go smoothly."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked quietly.

He chuckled.

"Would you believe me if I said that it was for the greater good?"

"No."

"Then, there is no point in trying to explain it to you, is there?" He reasoned.

Parker paused for a moment as she considered her response.

"I could...try," She insisted, "To believe you or whatever."

Loki bobbed his head softly.

"Very well. You've no doubt noticed how quickly things can change, how one mistake can ruin everything, yes?"

She nodded in agreement.

"Well, if I could just find that damned raccoon and get a hold of the stone that he possesses...I could change _everything_. Make it so that this madness never was, that...there were lives that were never lost..." He trailed off, losing himself in his own thoughts.

"Are you really trying to sell me on the idea that you actually care about people?" She asked incredulously.

"Goodness, no. I despise people – well, most of them I should say, but there are a precious few that...well, I just really need to be able to make things right."

"Not like this," Parker insisted.

"It may be hard for you to fathom, Parker, but I am right about this and this is the _only_ way..."

"Whatever you're doing, you're going about it in the worst way. And I know you, you will not get your hands on the Reality Gem simply to right a couple wrongs - you will manipulate _everything_ to suit what _you_ want. A universe, a reality, crafted around what is ideal for just _one_ man is by definition _wrong_ – so I don't care about the good that you intend to do because there is no right way to do a wrong thing, Loki."

The god was silent for a moment before he spoke again.

"If only you knew...if only you could understand, you would not feel that way."

"Who are you really trying to save?" She asked.

They abruptly stopped swaying to the music as Loki's cold eyes locked onto hers, his face unreadable. And of all the answers that she had expected to hear from him, the one that he gave hadn't even made the list.

"My family."

* * *

And so Parker had found herself dancing with the devil – at least, that's what she had thought at the time. She was so sure that the man in front of her was nothing but pure evil, that her gut feeling in regards to the trickster could not possibly be true if they told her otherwise. She had succeeded in making herself believe that if she were to trust anything that Loki had to say, even for a second, it could not possibly be for any greater reason than that she _wanted_ to. More than that, she had fooled herself in to believing that _every_ _word_ that rolled off of his Silver tongue was undoubtedly a lie, but as her blue eyes stared back into his emerald pair, she found that she was **wrong**.

As their gazes met, she immediately felt this sense that she was looking straight through the god, and it was not long after that that the visions started, just as they had months ago. They came in flashes just as they had originally; she saw a young boy with raven hair vying for his father's attention, then the same boy as an adolescent, sulking off to the side as his golden haired brother was swarmed by admirers. She saw the young god standing between the beautiful Queen of Asgard and her father as they demonstrated the art of magic to the child, followed by the full grown God of Mischief dangling off of the Rainbow Bridge. She saw him sitting in a cell in the dungeon as a guard – a complete stranger to Loki – delivered the news of his mothers death, then she saw him holding the small, lifeless body of a girl in his arms – she could feel the panic, the pain that pulled at his heart with those memories. It was only after she had pulled herself out of his head that she realized that the woman he had been holding in his arms in the last image that she was able to see was her. She felt like perhaps it should have had a more profound effect on her but in that moment, she was so overwhelmed with the weight of everything that the trickster had experienced in the past _thousand_ years, that it was lost on her. She had seen his life, felt his pain – he had willingly elected to show her the truth in all that he was and all that he meant to do.

Parker opened and closed her mouth a few times, not certain what she was supposed to say about what she'd seen – She knew in her bones that what she had found in his mind was true, but the walls that she had put up in regards to the raven-haired prince were pretty hard to shake. The suspicion and mistrust, while admittedly weakened, still remained to an extent.

"Now, I hate to alarm you, love," Loki started after a moment, speaking lowly, "But, from what I understand, Thanos and his followers will come knocking _very, __**very **_soon... That being said, I do hope that you will see reason, and that for the sake of Asgard and quite possibly, the Universe, you will not attempt to stop me."

"How could you possibly expect me to trust you after everything that you've done?" Parker asked, her voice trembling as tears stung at her eyes.

"Because if I meant to deceive you, I would not be here and I certainly would not have allowed you to see into my mind."

She tore her eyes away from his for a moment, frustrated with the fact that he could leave her speechless with such ease. It was unfair and never failed to make her feel like an idiot.

"Parker...," She heard her name fall gently from his lips.

She raised her gaze to meet his again, finding there an apologetic look etched across his face.

"Yeah?"

"In case I don't get another opportunity, I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you look tonight."

She chuckled.

"And _how_ beautiful is that, exactly?"

The god smiled, a genuine smile.

"Breathtaking."

Parker felt the blood rush to her face, my cheeks turning a deep red before Loki leaned in close, pressing his cold, soft lips to hers. She did not react at first, the very thought of kissing the man who had just recently stabbed her turned her stomach slightly, though she did eventually give in. Their lips moved together slowly, dancing as they had been dancing, before a sensation, like a light breeze tickling at her skin prompted Parker to open her eyes only to find the trickster had gone.

She whirled herself around, searching the sea of people for Loki, though she quickly realized how pointless of an endeavor that would be – he could have been _anyone. She_ was overcome with this feeling of dread, of imminent danger – she couldn't be sure whether it was because of Loki's presence or the fact that he seemed to be convinced that there would be an attack, **soon**. Fortunately, it was not long before Parker spotted Fandral, standing near the large banquet table situated in the center of the large room - she immediately hurried towards him, weaving in and out and in-between groups of people as she made her way over.

"Ah, Parker! There you are!" The blonde man greeted the girl warmly, stepping away from two quite disheveled looking maidens, "Care for a drink?"

"I'd love to, but no -"

"Come now -"

"I need to ask you something, okay? Can you answer a question for me?" She interrupted before he could waste his breath trying to convince her a second time.

"Yes, of course," He answered, confusion written across his face.

"Do you know where your friends are?"

"Pardon?"

"You're one of the Warriors Three, correct? Do you know where the _other_ **two** are?" She reiterated.

"Ah – well, yes. They're somewhere around here, I'm sure."

"You're sure? Like _actually_ sure or are you saying that as more of a general statement?"

"No, they're really here, as in here at the ball," Fandral clarified, "I was just speaking with them moments ago, why do you ask?"

"Good – I need to you find them and I need you guys to go to the Weapons Vault."

"What? For what reason?" He asked.

"I...look, it's complicated. It's a long story and I don't have time to explain but I have reason to believe that someone's going to try to make a move for the Infinity Gems. Just...trust me."

Parker knew that she hadn't exactly made a good case as to why he should leave the merriment of the ball to guard the Vault, but he could clearly see that something had her very seriously worried – and in turn, maybe he felt that that was cause enough, as he nodded in response to her request.

She hurried out of the room and down the corridor towards the entrance of the palace – it was not long before she came to set of stairs and found a dark haired woman seated upon them. She recognized her as Lady Sif – they had not formally met but Thor and her father had acknowledged her in passing a couple of times, and her father had told her stories of her and her adventures with Thor and the Warriors Three when she was a child.

"You're Lady Sif, right?" Parker asked as she approached her.

She looked up at the girl, startled – clearly Parker had disrupted her thoughts.

"I am. And you are Parker, daughter of Brael, yes?"

"I am," She confirmed.

"You look shaken," Sif said, giving her a once over.

"Yeah, you could say that," Parker half-laughed, "I'd ask a favor of you, if you'll allow it."

"Of course."

"Could you get the word out to the guards to be on alert, put extra eyes on the King...could you do that?" She asked.

"I _could_, but why?" Sif asked, her brows furrowed.

"It could be nothing."

"It's obviously _something_ if you feel this strongly about it," She countered.

"Just, please do this, okay? And hope that I'm wrong."

With those words, Parker disappeared into the air, traveling through space before her feet met the floor of the Observatory, where she had figured her father would be waiting with Heimdall for Thor and Dr. Strange to return. She opened her eyes to see that she had been right, finding Brael standing beside the Gatekeeper, waiting patiently – they only turned when they heard the echo of her footsteps behind them.

A wide smile spread across her fathers face as he looked towards his daughter and quickly crossed the room, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"You look beautiful," He whispered as he pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Thank you."

"I have good new," Brael smiled cheerfully, "Thor and Strange appear to be making short work of their task, and we expect that they'll be back home within the hour."

It did not take long for her father to notice her lack of enthusiasm and his face fell.

"What's the matter, chipmunk?"

Parker took in a deep breath before she spoke.

"I...I saw Loki. He's here. In Asgard. I can't be sure what he's up to but...he seems to think that we're going to be attacked soon and...I just...Dad, I don't know what to do," She stammered.

Brael nodded softly before turning to the Gatekeeper.

"Keep an eye on them, I'll take care of this."

Heimdall simply bobbed his head in response as the old Master of Magic turned to exit the structure.

"Hey, wait!" She called after her father, "What are you gonna do?"

"Like I said, sweetheart – I'm gonna take care of it."

"Dad, stop." Parker rushed towards him, grabbing him by the wrist and spinning him to face her.

"If Thanos and his allies are coming...," She started, "Then we've got bigger things to worry about then Loki."

"Have you told anybody else about this?"

"Not particularly, no. I asked the Warriors Three to stand guard at the Weapons Vault and Lady Sif to alert the guards and send men to keep watch on the Allfather..."

"Thank you. You did well in doing that, but now...you should have Heimdall send you to Earth," Her father suggested, "If an attack is, indeed, imminent, then I do not want you to be here when it starts. I'd feel much better knowing that you're safe."

"I know but...I can't do that. I can't leave you here alone, knowing that I could have maybe done something but didn't. I don't think I could live with myself if something were to happen to you and I had run off to hide...I just can't do that, Dad, I'm sorry."

He did not try to argue, instead he opted to pull her towards him, wrapping his arms around her once more as he pressed kisses into her hair. She threw her thin arms around his midsection and held him to her tightly as she nuzzled her face against his chest.

"I am so incredibly proud of you, Parker," She heard him murmur above her, "I love you so much."

"Don't talk like that, for all we know, we have nothing to worry about. It wouldn't exactly be out of character for Loki to lie, now would it?"

"No," He chuckled as he let her go, "It wouldn't."

He simply stood there for a moment, looking at his daughter as if it could possibly be the last time he had the opportunity to do so before he spoke again.

"Just...stay with Heimdall, okay?"

"Okay," She promised.

He nodded, acknowledging her answer. And then he was gone.


	18. Chapter 18

The Master of Magic hastily made his way through the labyrinth of long corridors that made up the Palace of Asgard – one could easily have gotten lost through the twists and turns, but having spent centuries upon centuries inside of those walls, Brael had no issues navigating them. In his many years as Adviser to the King, he had seen his fair share of battles, but most had never taken place within the realm – no, they had nearly always taken the fight elsewhere so as to protect the people of Asgard, this was the first time that the old god could recall that they had purposefully brought it upon _themselves_ in order to protect _everybody else_. It took a great deal for Brael to convince his old friend, The Allfather, that it was the right course of action – certainly a King's first instinct would be to protect his own – but, all things considered, even Odin, as stubborn as he was, could see that it was the right call to make.

Still, the Sorcerer hoped with all of his heart that his daughter, that Loki had been mistaken. The Asgardian Forces were undoubtedly a formidable enemy for any potential challenger, but Brael sensed that they simply were not ready – that whatever was coming their way, if indeed something was, was going to be **big **and unlike any foe that Asgard's soldiers had faced before.

He rounded one final corner and saw before him the Warriors Three standing guard outside of the Weapons Vault, just as Parker had asked them to. He smiled to himself at the thought of his little girl and hoped that perhaps she'd have a change of heart – that she'd allow Heimdall to send her back to her mother.

"Have any of you been inside of the Vault?" Brael asked as he approached the men.

They turned their gaze towards the Sorcerer, a mixture of shock and confusion upon their faces.

"No," The large, red-haired one Brael knew to be Volstagg answered, "No, we haven't. But _you,_ though, we thought that you..." The man pointed towards the door, his brow furrowed.

"That wasn't you?" He asked again after a moment of silence.

"What wasn't me?" Brael asked, an edge to his voice.

A look of realization crossed the faces of the three men simultaneously, as if a light suddenly went on inside their heads.

"Loki...," Fandral said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Step aside boys," The old god ordered.

The Warriors Three did as Brael requested without question, only looking to one another as he entered the Vault alone, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Parker remained in the Observatory as her father had asked, pacing back and forth as she waited for Strange and Thor to arrive. She wasn't so sure that they should be allowed to return, all things considered – not if they had the raccoon and the Reality Gem with them, but she had to admit that if an attack was imminent, that they could really use the both of them. They'd certainly be able to contribute more to their cause than she would...

"Filling your heart with worry will do you no favors, Parker," The deep voice of the Gatekeeper called, pulling the girl from her thoughts.

"I know," She murmured as she continued to pace, not offering the man as much as a sideways glance.

It was silent for a moment before she spoke again.

"How much longer do you think they'll be?"

A small grin tugged at the Asgardian's lips.

"Funny you should ask," He replied as he sunk his sword into it's slot, opening the Bifrost.

Parker stared into the whirlwind of light and watched as five forms appeared – Thor and Strange she recognized easily, and behind them stood a small, upright raccoon in an orange jumpsuit, an enormously tall tree-like creature, and a thin, green woman with long dark hair.

As soon as the Gatekeeper closed the portal, Parker bolted – wrapping her arms around the God of Thunder and the Doctor.

"You did it!"

"You sound surprised," Strange teased.

"Hey! Down here!" She heard a voice call as she turned her eyes down to see the raccoon looking back at her, "Yeah – sorry to interrupt your little moment but where the fuck are we?"

"He's got a mouth on him, doesn't he?" Parker muttered as she stepped away from her friends and approached the small animal.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Strange answered.

"It is believed that you have something that we seek," Thor piped in, addressing Rocket Raccoon.

"Look, if you think I stole something or broke -"

"We think you have a small, yellow stone. If you do, then it's really important that you give it to us," Parker stated bluntly.

"No," Rocket answered.

"No? As in you don't have it or as in you won't give it to us?"

"No, I **do** have it, but if you guys wanted it bad enough to spring me and my buddies out of prison, that means it must be worth something..."

It took everything in Parker to not completely lose her composure – she figured that he was likely unaware of the seriousness of the situation that they found themselves in and perhaps he was even ignorant to the importance and the power of the stone that he held – either way, she was not in the mood to haggle with anybody.

The woman took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"My friends risked their _lives_ to save you and your 'buddies' and you want some kind of reward, some kind of payment?" She started through gritted teeth, "Your payment is your lives and your **fucking** freedom, you ungrateful shit."

"Look, lady – considering where that rocks been, you probably don't wanna touch it."

Parker thrust her hand out expectantly, finding a surprised expression cross the faces of everyone around her when a small, yellow stone ripped itself out of Rocket's side pocket and flew into the palm of her hand. She had been just as shocked as they were – maybe even more – but she brushed that aside quickly as she started towards the exit, stepping out onto the Rainbow Bridge.

"Yeah...yeah, you can have it," She heard the raccoon call from behind her before she turned to face them once more.

"I'm gonna go find Odin, you guys...get **them** somewhere safe and then find my dad or Lady Sif, okay?" She asked, disappearing into the air before they could give an answer.

Thor and Strange exchanged a curious look before shrugging off the girl's odd behavior. They gestured for their guests to follow them and proceeded towards the exit of the Observatory, not paying particularly close attention to any one of the prisoners – by the time they had reached the palace, they found that the green woman had gone missing.

* * *

Parker didn't know what possessed her to seek out the King, but it felt like the right thing to do. As far as she knew, the man was fairly talented in the art of magic and considering that he would undoubtedly have a swarm of guards nearby to protect him, she felt that perhaps he'd be the best candidate to use the Reality Gem. Despite the King's old age and bigoted point of views, she could sense that deep in his heart, Odin was a good man and that he would make the right call should he be given the power to do so.

She felt eyes and weapons on her before she ever even felt her feet hit ground – all of Odin's men had surrounded her, ready to protect their ruler as she appeared in the center of the Allfather's chambers. She scanned the faces of the men as they stared at her intensely, before she looked past them to see the old god putting on his armor, readying himself for battle.

"Allfather...," She said, taking a step towards him.

Instantly, a blade was raised to her throat.

"Let her be," The weary voice of the King called out, "She freed me from the dungeons, if I remember correctly...the least I could do is hear her words."

Parker watched as the guards carefully lowered their weapons and took a step back, allowing her to approach Odin.

"Thor and Strange have returned, and we have retrieved the Reality Gem from the prisoner. I'd like to offer it to you, sir. Maybe then, all of that armor will prove to be unnecessary."

"I appreciate the thought, but I...I cannot be the one to rewrite reality, my dear," He responded regretfully.

"What? Why not?"

"For thousands of years, I have tried to do what is best for this realm and for my family, and too many times have I **failed**. That much power is too dangerous to place in the hands of a man who has lost so much and I fear the repercussions that could come of the reality that I would create. I would ask that you give it to a better man...a stronger man..." He paused for a moment before finishing his thought, "Give it to your father, Parker."

With those words, he gestured for his men to ready themselves - they stepped into formation and followed their leader out.

* * *

Brael had come to a stop at the bottom of the steps, staring down towards the end of the room, finding there the God of Mischief. The young god made no attempt to disguise himself, opting instead to simply stand there, hands clasped behind his back as though he had been waiting for the Master of Magic.

"Lookin' for somethin'?" Brael asked as he made his way down the pathway that led directly to his former pupil.

Loki chuckled.

"I was wondering if you'd _ever_ come. I assume that Thor and the Doctor were successful in their task? They must have been for you to have so easily left your watch," The raven-haired man suggested.

"Yeah, well...you find out that trouble incarnate has come sniffin' around your daughter, that tends to kinda take precedence."

A wicked grin spread across the tricksters face.

"What can I say? Our last encounter was just so -"

"Shut your damn mouth, boy, unless you want it sewed shut a second time."

Loki swallowed thickly, clearly unnerved by that particular memory.

"So, would I be correct in assuming that the Reality Gem has made it safely to Asgard?" He spoke after a moment, ignoring the old Sorcerer's threat.

"Let it go, Loki," Brael insisted, hoping that the man would heed his advice.

"I can't do that," He replied darkly.

"Then I can't let ya outta here."

Loki quickly cast two powerful blasts of green energy towards his former mentor – they would have easily been enough to kill any man should they have met their target, but the Master of Magic deflected the blasts with ease, causing them to gouge the thick stone walls. The trickster then whipped a throwing knife in Brael's direction, but again, the old god knocked the metal object to the ground with a mere wave of his hand.

The trickster took a step backwards, in hopes to make a grab at the Casket of Ancient Winters – he knew that his magic and his weapons, that they would do little against the man who taught him how to use them. No, if he wanted to defeat Brael, he would have to use a power that he knew nothing about.

He watched as the old Sorcerer approached him slowly, but only too late did he notice the subtle shimmer that encased his form. Before Loki could react, he found himself face first on the ground as Brael strapped a pair of familiar cuffs to his wrists.

The God of Mischief snarled as the Brael roughly turned him onto his back so that he could face him.

"My magic is not my only gift," He hissed.

"No, it's not, but it **is** the one that you need right now. And in spite of your best efforts, Loki...I still love ya, and I'm not gonna kill ya, but...I'm not gonna let you wreak havoc, either, and let's be honest, that's kinda your thing. So, you're gonna have to forgive me," Brael started, driving a dagger into Loki's heel as he spoke his last few words, "But you gotta stay here."

Loki groaned in pain and glared at the man in front of him, knowing that the pain would not soon subside – he could not heal himself with his abilities sealed.

Brael offered the young god an apologetic smile before he stood and turned, making his way back towards the entrance, pausing only for a moment when an odd noise cut through the air.

It was the sound of sirens, echoing up above.

Asgard was under attack.

* * *

Parker once believed that some of us are simply born to be heroes and others, to be villains...she could see now that that's not true. While we might find ourselves at times in situations entirely beyond our control, it is the actions that we choose during these times that defines us. Who you are, what you stand for...it cannot be measured by what you did or did not do in a time when it didn't matter – whether you were forced into the fight or not, the path you take and the decisions that you make as you press forward...that is who are. Good or evil, regardless of any predisposition or circumstance of birth. You are exactly who you _choose_ to be.

She had always thought that she wanted to live a simple life, a quiet life, but as she hurried down one of the expansive passageways of the Golden Palace of Asgard, she realized that for her, that would never have sufficed. She did not want the responsibility of saving the Universe -of saving anyone, really - but she had to admit that she had never felt more alive, more...a part of something than what she had during those few months. She had finally become something more- more than just a girl who had a few friends, more than a cashier at the local Wal-Mart – She was the daughter of Brael, Asgard's Master of Magic, and she had chosen her path. She would do as much good as she could possibly manage, she would be a hero – or she would die trying.

The small girl pushed her way through the mass of screaming people surging out from the ballroom, trying to make their way to the exits. She could hear the panic, the distress in the voices around her, rising to form a collective sound of pure terror as the distinctive roar of battle erupted from the other side of the castle's walls. She continued onwards, doing the best she could to ignore the horror outside – she could hear the shouting and the screaming clear as day, she could hear the blades clashing and sinking into flesh, she could hear the burst and feel the vibrations of explosions, and see how they caused the walls of the palace to quake with their strength.

Rounding a corner, Parker came to an empty corridor and was nearly thankful for moment – she was almost relieved that she would not have to make her way through a stampede of people to get to where she was going – but then she felt it. A sharp pain as something or someone landed a blow to the center of her back, knocking her to her stomach.

"Going somewhere, Parker?" She heard a familiar female voice ask jeeringly.

Turning, Parker found the green-skinned woman that Thor and Strange had brought back with them standing over her, a wicked grin upon her face before her appearance began to contort and shift into that of the Enchantress.

"Surprised?," She inquired mockingly, "Well, don't be too hard on yourself. How were you supposed to know?"

"What? How?" Parker started, struggling to find her words.

"We had been keeping tabs on the raccoon for some time, dear. We knew were he was and when the Collector came, telling us how my _sweet_ Thor had robbed him of the Aether – well, we got an idea. You see, that disgusting girl I was wearing, her name is Gamora – she's the adopted daughter of Thanos and she is friends with that insolent little creature and his giant monster – that being said, it was no difficult task for Thanos to get a hold of her and replace the _real_ Gamora with yours truly. And those stupid thugs were none the wiser. I stayed with them, watched them, protected them, knowing it was only a matter of time before you or one of yours came for them. As you know, Thor and your precious Doctor came, and when they brought us back here I...slipped out of sight and paid the old Gatekeeper a visit...," She chuckled menacingly at her last few words.

"No," The redhead breathed, "There is no way he didn't see you coming."

"Oh, he did," She answered, "But not until it was too late. I put a knife through his throat and opened the Bifrost for Thanos and our allies...and I'm afraid there are many more of them than what you had anticipated, sweet child."

The Enchantress crouched down and leaned in close, so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"Your heroes, your army – they will fall. You will all perish beneath the rubble of Asgard – you, your father, and that vile frost giant who's stolen your heart, you _pathetic_ girl."

Parker allowed her eyes to fall to the floor as she turned her head away from Amora – she wanted her to think that she had hurt her, that the words that she had said had gotten under her skin more than they had. She wanted that smug bitch to be too busy enjoying the notion of breaking her will that she would not notice when she slipped the dagger she had strapped at her side from it's sheath. Before the foul woman had a chance to react, Parker wrapped her fingers tightly around the handle of the blade and pulled it out. She plunged the dagger into the side of the Enchantress' neck as deep as she could and dragged it across, opening her throat as she claimed she had done to Heimdall. There was blood everywhere – all over the floor, all over Amora, all over Parker...and she felt like she should have been disgusted, like she should have lost the contents of her stomach, but her heart was beating so fast in her chest that honestly, the only thing she felt like doing was getting as far away from the scene as possible.

She quickly crawled out of the way as the dying Asgardian fell to the floor, right where Parker had a been moments prior. It was a moment before she could tear her eyes away and force herself onto her feet, but when she did, she made a point of not looking back.

Continuing on her way, Parker couldn't help but notice the dust and debris being shaken from the ceiling or how the thick, stone walls that surrounded her had begun to crack and splinter with each and every powerful blow from the outside. She wondered silently to herself how much longer the Palace could stand.

It was not long before she arrived at the Weapons Vault – if she had to take a guess, she would have guessed that the Weapons Vault was where Loki would have gone after leaving the ball, and if that were the case, her father could have possibly been inside as well. Before she could enter, Parker turned her gaze to see Thor, the Warriors Three, and Lady Sif hastily making their way through the corridor.

"Parker," The deep, resonating voice of the God of Thunder called to the girl, "Thank goodness you're alright. You must find yourself a safe place."

"How bad is it?" She asked softly, fearing that she already knew the answer.

"Bad," He replied grimly.

With that, he and the Warriors Three continued onwards towards the sounds of battle, but Lady Sif lingered behind for a moment, stepping closer to Parker as she spoke.

"There is a passageway to the east – a cavern – it will take you back to Midgard."

"I'm not going to run away."

"Please, I _insist_ that you reconsider."

"Why?"

"Because you may be our last hope. Go into the Vault, take as many of the relics as you can carry, and get them out of here, out of Thanos' reach. Perhaps you could find Thor's friends...his Avengers, and maybe together you all can put a stop to this."

"I -"

"_Please, _Parker. You must go, you must do this, if not for us than for your mother. She should at least be spared the loss of her child."

She felt the color drain from her face at Sif's words.

"What do you mean," The young woman asked, her voice trembling, "Where's my dad?"

"He was last seen in the Observatory...," Sif began tearfully.

"And?"

"It's been destroyed...by the fire demon, Surtur. We don't know...we don't _believe_ that anyone who was there managed to make it out...I'm so sorry..."

With that, the goddess took off to catch up with her comrades and left Parker standing there, alone. It was as though the world has ceased to be for a moment – She could no longer hear nor see the chaos around her, just the faint thumping of her heart at work. The pain...the heavy weight of loss that sat on her chest...although she could feel it, her face remained blank...it was just too much. It was only when a large portion of the ceiling dislodged and collapsed a few yards in front of her that she was pulled back into reality, feeling the wetness of tears coating her cheeks for the first time.

She decided that maybe she should take Sif's advice – if things were as bad as they seemed to be, then maybe it would be their last shot at making things right... to take as many of the relics as far away from the enemy as possible and **hope** that their next attempt would go over better...

But then, she found myself running awfully low on hope...

Parker entered the Vault and slowly climbed down the stairs, her eyes lowered to her feet before she came to stand at the bottom. When she turned her gaze up to scan the room before her, she was only half surprised to see the God of Mischief, seated on the floor at the end of the way.

She approached him, her eyes locked with his as she came to sit beside him on the cold, hard ground. She found that he had been bound with the same cuffs her father had freed him of months ago, a dagger driven through his ankle. Under different circumstances, Parker may have considered leaving him that way, but as it was, she reached over and pulled the blade from his body before undoing the restraints wrapped around his wrists.

The raven-haired god shifted, positioning himself into a more comfortable position as he rubbed at his skin where the cuffs had been.

"What are you doing down here, love?" He asked quietly as the room began to shake, pieces of stone crumbling from the walls.

Before Parker could answer, a particularly powerful blast rocked the room, causing the stairway to split as massive chunks of rubble tumbled down.

"I think we've lost...," She replied honestly.

She hated hearing herself say those words...but she couldn't hold it back any longer. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she had likely just lost her father that overwhelmed her with this sense of helplessness, or whether it was the grim aura that even the mighty Thor had about him...but she just knew, in her heart, that Amora had been right. They were going to fail...and they were going to die, buried beneath the wreckage of this place.

Again, a violent blast shook the structure.

"It would seem so," Loki agreed gently.

The couple simply sat there in silence for moment, listening as Asgard fell to pieces around them before Parker reached and pulled out a tiny, yellow rock from where she had tucked it away.

"Unless...," She murmured, staring at the small object as she rolled it around in the palm of her hand.

Loki turned his gaze towards her, seeing what it was that she had taken out.

"If you are sure," He started hesitantly, "If you will _allow_ it...I can **end** this."

Parker did not respond to his words, opting instead to just gaze upon the small stone.

"Please, Parker," He pleaded after a moment, "I know that you have no reason to, but I must ask that you trust me just _one_ _last_ _time_..."

It's funny what that the prospect of imminent death can do to your judgement. Parker knew that Loki's motives for wanting the Reality Gem were certainly better than Thanos', but she also knew that he ultimately would only better things for himself. But what do you do in a situation like that? What do you do when you're thrown into the middle of the grayest of gray areas? Do you roll the dice or do you allow what will be, to be? In that moment, despite any prior doubts she may have had, she knew what she needed to do – what she _really_ needed to do. She realized that sometimes, being a hero and doing the right thing means choosing between the lesser of two evils. And that's exactly what she did as she dropped the Infinity Gem into the palm of Loki's hand.

Parker slide herself over to sit closer to the God of Mischief as the ceiling began to cave in above them. The last thing that she felt was his long, cold fingers entwine with hers...

And then it all went white...


	19. Into The Dark

A/N: Ok, guys. The First Chapter for _Into the Dark_ has been Published and You can Find it By Visiting My Profile Page! :)


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